Learn how we help managers of urban areas solve their pigeon problems.
From dense cities with large downtowns to small towns and suburban shopping centers, pigeons love to nest and raise their young around humans and food.
OvoControl® in TOWNS & CITIES
City centers or dense urban areas are very common sites for large or multiple flocks of pigeons to gather. Years of artificial feeding in Hollywood neighborhoods created large pigeon flocks that damaged infrastructure and buildings. Laura Dodson, President of The Argyle Civic Association (“ACA”) estimated that Hollywood’s flocks exceeded 5,000 birds, maintained by daily feeding in many different locations.
Hollywood, CA tackled their problem with six OvoControl® P feeding stations located at strategic rooftops in the impacted areas. The Argyle Civic Association, a neighborhood association, recruited local businesses to fund the program through a Los Angeles based pest control company. Following consultation with the community, ACA recommended practical control methods and a program of public education. Central to the management program was birth control technology represented by OvoControl® P.
In July 2007, ACA launched the “Citizen Pigeon” program. Two years following deployment of the program, the ACA estimates that the population of pigeons has declined more than 50%. The Hollywood section of Los Angeles is a densely populated urban area with multiple large flocks of birds. The populations of birds in large sections of Hollywood were successfully reduced.
Pigeon Control in a small town
Located in the southeastern corner of Washington State, Walla Walla has agrarian roots, known for sweet onions and more recently, fine vineyards. Together with agriculture, Walla Walla also has a history of pigeons, especially in the downtown shopping area. The original population was estimated at roughly 120 pigeons. Small towns generally have well defined and discreet flocks that are easily targeted with an OvoControl® P baiting program.
OvoControl® P is a ready-to-use bait that interferes with the reproduction of treated birds, causing the population to decline through attrition. This effective and humane technology is especially useful for managing pigeon flocks in larger areas without having to resort to poisons and their associated risks.
Introduced and managed by Sun Pest Management in Walla Walla, an OvoControl® P automatic feeder was installed on a Main Street building, in the heart of the shopping area. Subsequently, additional feeders were added at the nearby Whitman College campus. Within two seasons, the pigeon population was down to a fraction of the starting point. According to Russ Craber, President of Sun Pest Management,
“We still use OvoControl in Walla Walla, WA, although the drastically reduced pigeon flocks that once terrorized downtown pedestrians and business owners only a few years ago are now at a nominal level. In fact, we’re using much less OvoControl now because it works so well!
Once the population declines to an acceptable level, OvoControl® P application continues, but in a maintenance, rather than treatment mode. Read the full report by the responsible technician, Paul Zimmerman, from Sun Pest Control in Walla Walla, WA.
Click on the link for more information on OvoControl® P and managing a contraceptive program in your small town.
Pigeon Control in a city
OvoControl® P represents a pigeon control tool, ideal for large urban areas where exclusion or removal is not necessarily practical or cost effective. By preventing eggs from hatching, OvoControl® P acts to gradually reduce the population. Treated sites typically report a reduction of 50%, annually. Additionally, OvoControl® P can be integrated into other bird mitigation programs including removal and exclusion techniques for the best possible outcome.
Due to its position as a transportation hub for grain and other agricultural goods, St. Paul, MN has tolerated large flocks of feral pigeons, especially in downtown areas. In fact, the extensive pigeon numbers in the area were implicated in the bridge failure in the other side of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis.
With encouragement from environmental groups, St. Paul conducted a successful OvoControl® P pilot program in a downtown area. Starting with just a single feeder, St. Paul, MN has concentrated their resources on a population management program to help reduce the number of pigeons in the downtown shopping area. Area businesses have been recruited to “volunteer” their rooftops for feeder installations. The Securian center already installed its own feeder which is operational.
The pilot program succeeded in reducing the local pigeon flock to just a fraction of its starting point. An expanded program to treat a larger part of St. Paul was introduced in spring, 2012. The larger program was financed in part by the Building Owners and Managers Association (“BOMA”).
Click on the link for more information on OvoControl® P and managing a contraceptive program in your metro area.
Pigeon Control at a shopping center
OvoControl® P is a pigeon control tool, ideal for large sites where exclusion or removal is not necessarily practical or cost effective. By preventing eggs from hatching, OvoControl® P acts to gradually reduce the population. Treated sites typically report a reduction of 50%, annually. Additionally, OvoControl® P can be integrated into other bird mitigation programs including removal and exclusion techniques for the best possible outcome.
While a typical strip mall is most often represented by many different stores, shopping center management is generally interested in solving the overall problem rather than one or the other “hot spot”. In San Diego, in a predominately Asian community strip mall, pigeons congregated at one end, at a roller skating rink. Rather than exclude birds, management adopted a long-term OvoControl® P program and reduced the population from 200 to 20 over a period of 28 months.
Click on the link for more information on OvoControl® P and managing a contraceptive program at your shopping center.
