Mothballs To Get Rid Of Pigeons

[billt]

I have, (had), a serious pigeon problem around my home. The woman across the street feeds every damn stray bird and cat that comes around. So I had pigeons crapping everywhere. I found a good way to get rid of them. I read they hate the smell of mothballs, and can detect it from a long distance away. So I bought a bunch of those plastic mothball containers you fill with mothballs, and hang in your closet.

I filled them and placed them under the eves where they tend to congregate, and near the water discharge pipe for my central air. Since then I have not had one single pigeon anywhere on my property! I see them on the neighbors roof tops, but not on mine. In the hot weather you have to refill them more often because they evaporate faster, but it's worth the effort to not have to constantly be hosing off pigeon $h!t.

I also had stray cats crapping along side my house. Since I put out the mothballs, I haven't had a single cat crap in my yard. I like this better than using any type of poison because it can't get into the food chain, and harm innocent pets and other animals. It just gets rid of them!

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[Joe Link]

Sounds like an effective deterrent. Can you smell them while you're enjoying your yard?

 

[billt]

Sounds like an effective deterrent. Can you smell them while you're enjoying your yard?

No, they're not detectable to the human nose. But the pigeons can smell them a long way off. The problem is out here in the hot Summer is they evaporate quickly, so you have to replace them often.

 

[MadDuner]

How often is often?

 

[billt]

About once a month I have to put a handful in. In the cold weather every couple to 3 months.

 

[MadDuner]

About once a month I have to put a handful in. In the cold weather every couple to 3 months.

Thanks for the info!

I have the same problem around here.
For whatever reason - wherever I park my company truck - it's targeted!

 

[billt]

I should add if we get a lot of wind, that makes them evaporate faster also.

 

[badbob85037]

I have, (had), a serious pigeon problem around my home. The woman across the street feeds every damn stray bird and cat that comes around. So I had pigeons crapping everywhere. I found a good way to get rid of them. I read they hate the smell of mothbal....

We had a real bad pigeon problem here too. It was so bad the city government put an ad in a national news paper willing to pay to get rid of them. One man offered to rid the city and would do it for free if no one asked him any question. He arranged to meet with city officials the next day at one of the highest hills in town.

Once everyone was at the meeting place he pulled a Blue Bird from his coat and released it into the air. As it flew around the city the pigeons followed the Blue Bird until every pigeon followed him. The Blue Bird started heading out of the city with the pigeons following. A few hours latter the Blue Bird returned alone. It would have cost the tax payers nothing but they just had to ask a question. You got any Blue Mexicans?

 

[MadDuner]

Hahahahaha....
Not very politically correct.
But funny anyway! LOL

 

[Huggy]

I have, (had), a serious pigeon problem around my home. The woman across the street feeds every damn stray bird and cat that comes around. So I had pigeons crapping everywhere. I found a good way to get rid of them. I read they hate the smell of mothballs, and can detect it from a long distance away. So I bought a bunch of those plastic mothball containers you fill with mothballs, and hang in your closet.

I filled them and placed them under the eves where they tend to congregate, and near the water discharge pipe for my central air. Since then I have not had one single pigeon anywhere on my property! I see them on the neighbors roof tops, but not on mine. In the hot weather you have to refill them more often because they evaporate faster, but it's worth the effort to not have to constantly be hosing off pigeon $h!t.

I also had stray cats crapping along side my house. Since I put out the mothballs, I haven't had a single cat crap in my yard. I like this better than using any type of poison because it can't get into the food chain, and harm innocent pets and other animals. It just gets rid of them!

BRILLIANT idea, Sir!
Fortunately, I don't have that problem except with the local dove population. I don't have a garage or carport but do park my truck under the shade of my Mesquite tree alongside my driveway.
When next I shop, I will look for the container and the moth balls to give them a try myself.
As much as I enjoy the sounds of dove cooing in my yard, the pyramids of crapola on my truck REALLY tick me off! So it's worth a try.
IF I could remember, I could just go outside about an hour after dark with a flashlight and broom, look up into the tree branches and shoo the critters off for the night.
Since they don't have good night vision, they won't fly back to the same place to roost and problem solved, if only temporarily for the night.
I should mention that I have a neighbor who raised pigeons and I admit it was neat to see them flying around in unison and formation, but he did NOT factor in they are near the bottom of the food chain and there are several hawks who inhabit the area. So he was providing an easy source of chow for Mr. or Mrs. Hawk. Now there are NO pigeons orbiting the area. LOL
Lastly, that's a "Pretty" cool avatar photo you have there. ;-) Can I come swimming at YOUR house or will I get shot by that Purty blond?!?

 

[billt]

In one area I had to construct a small piece of lattice and screening to put up under one of my eves, because the pigeons were roosting up underneath. Before I installed it I swept and hosed off so much pigeon dung, when it flowed off the roof it covered my front sidewalk almost 2" thick! It had been up there for years. And does that stuff STINK when you get it wet!

You can see the white mothball container up underneath, near the bottom of the lattice. I left just enough space at the bottom so I could get my hand in there to remove and refill it. This was the worst spot. Since then not one pigeon has been seen up there. I tried the owl cut outs from Amazon. The reviews were good, but I had no luck. They actually chewed them up! I do keep one on the eve of my back patio, which seems to keep the doves no closer than my back wall.

 

[TeoVenison]

I wouldn't have to worry about pigeons and cats in our yard, my Pomeranian would scare them off. If he isn't chilling out in his dog bed or playing catch with the kids, he's prowling in our yard, ready to bark whenever a stray cat or bird would come by. A very effective "yard protector," I must say.

 

[dangerranger]

Mothballs also repel mice. A friend got the idea to spread them around her attic to keep them out. So instead of crawling around in the attic She also bought a slingshot. The idea was to pop up in the crawl hole and aim them into the corners.
Her 10 year old wanted to do it so he stands up on the top of the ladder with a flashlight. After about an hour she calls him down to dinner, and he tells her he didn't see one mouse. He had been waiting to shoot the mouse!
I guess she did not explain it well! DR

 

[Joe Link]

Mothballs also repel mice. A friend got the idea to spread them around her attic to keep them out. So instead of crawling around in the attic She also bought a slingshot. The idea was to pop up in the crawl hole and aim them into the corners.
Her 10 year old wanted to do it so he stands up on the top of the ladder with a flashlight. After about an hour she calls him down to dinner, and he tells her he didn't see one mouse. He had been waiting to shoot the mouse!
I guess she did not explain it well! DR

Sure mom didn't do that on purpose?

 

[nvshooter]

I think I'll tell my dad about the mothballs re the chasing-off of mice. Our family home has a large attic. I'm sure the little batsards are up there, chewing on the wiring and creating any number of other problems. My dad is 88; he doesn't need to be up there wrangling mice...