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Deterring pigeons (1 Viewer)

A

AKA Matthew

New member
Hello..

I'm at the end of my tether with... you've probably guessed - pigeons. I won't bore you with a 20,000-word post about my loathing for these creatures, but I do require some help in deterring the foul-feathered abominations. I'm sure there are people who like them - you should probably stop reading... now.

I'm over-run with them. They gather at the bottom of the feeing pole, hoovering up split seed. Directly underneath the feeder I have a ground table with a cage over it. This catches spilt seed and also offers smaller birds to eat it and anything else I place in there.

My main annoyance is that the flying rats have worked out how to eat from the four-port feeder; they cling to the bottom perch rings and stuff their filthy beaks into the top port. This scares off the smaller birds. That's the last straw for me.

I basically need a feeder they can not 'get at' and one which will not lead to the finches spilling so much and encouraging the pigeons to gather around the base of the pole. Can anyone recommend such a feeder?

I have tried this feeder, but it was a total faff to dissemble and clean and I sent it straight back without ever using it.

If anyone can suggest anything, I would be very grateful. It's reached a point where I am thinking about removing the pole and not feeding them any more. I really don't want to do that, but I can't have all these horrible creatures in my garden.
 
If you are able because its not going to look pretty erect a box structure around it using a wire mesh the flying rats cannot enter but allows smaller birds entrance

Not that I am able to offer any advice I am sure there must be a ground obstacle configuration that stops them landing or taking off, if its high enough they should not be able jump in or out

best of luck
 
I used to get Woodpigeons on my feeders after the mixed seed that I used but changing to sunflower seed and sunflower hearts (only use the hearts now, seed to messy) I just get the occasional pigeon now and a much wider range of other birds.

Dave
 
AKA Matthew said:
Hello..

I'm at the end of my tether with... you've probably guessed - pigeons. I won't bore you with a 20,000-word post about my loathing for these creatures, but I do require some help in deterring the foul-feathered abominations. I'm sure there are people who like them - you should probably stop reading... now.

I'm over-run with them. They gather at the bottom of the feeing pole, hoovering up split seed. Directly underneath the feeder I have a ground table with a cage over it. This catches spilt seed and also offers smaller birds to eat it and anything else I place in there.

My main annoyance is that the flying rats have worked out how to eat from the four-port feeder; they cling to the bottom perch rings and stuff their filthy beaks into the top port. This scares off the smaller birds. That's the last straw for me.

I basically need a feeder they can not 'get at' and one which will not lead to the finches spilling so much and encouraging the pigeons to gather around the base of the pole. Can anyone recommend such a feeder?

I have tried this feeder, but it was a total faff to dissemble and clean and I sent it straight back without ever using it.

If anyone can suggest anything, I would be very grateful. It's reached a point where I am thinking about removing the pole and not feeding them any more. I really don't want to do that, but I can't have all these horrible creatures in my garden.
Click to expand...

I feel the same as you Matthew. Ours arrive in droves (when filling in my Garden Watch figures this week a question came back to me before it would be accepted saying "are you sure you saw 23 feral pigeons in the garden?" ) and hoover up the residue of sunflower hearts dropped by the finches.

Sandra
 
This one is worth a go: http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/birds-w...pb-easy-clean-seed-feeder-guardian-small.html

We sell them in our shop, very easy to fill and clean, well made and certainly prevents pigeons. You can even turn the bottom base plate upside down to catch seeds, though you may need to put some new drainage holes in.

You can also try the Squirrel Busters - they won't stop the Goldfinches making mess mind you and you can't put a tray on, but they look good and will prevent any heavy birds/ squirrels. 'The Squirrel Buster' is only a fiver more than the mini and well worth it, better base, higher capacity and you can adjust the spring tension: http://www.livingwithbirds.com/squirrels/squirrel-buster/
 
I used to have a problem with collared Doves and Woodpigeons on the feeder I use to feed millet to the sparrows. I stopped them by turning the perching rings 180 degrees so they hang down instead of out. No more Doves on the feeders, they just get the spillage now. If your feeder is a similar design its worth a try and costs nothing.
 

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I only regularly get a pair of doves and the occasional woodie in my garden, and they're quite good at clearing mess, so quite welcome here.

The thing that puzzles me is that the High Street, half a mile away, is infested with feral pigeons yet I've never seen one round here.
 
Well, I bought the feeder suggested by Joe and it has been hanging in the garden since Friday. So far, the small birds... absolutely hate it with a passion. |=)| I haven't seen a single finch anywhere near it today. Then again, there are no pigeons either... When they have bothered, they don't go inside, they sit on the guard and lean in. They are not bright, are they? Clearly, they are going to take a while to get used to this one.

Having spent the last ten minutes feeding peanuts to the resident squirrel, I can only hope the person who made that squirrel launcher soils himself, to great embarrassment, in a public place.
 
Pea sized brains can't be too smart, give it some time. The dark eyed juncos here have learned to use the hanging suet cage and nijer feeder after some time, even the cardinals will take a dab at the nijer I put on platform feeder.
 
Pigeons are easy, just turn your feeder over so the perches are above the ports rather than below.
You will of course have to secure the cap so the seeds don't pour out, but your feeder will be just fine for small clinging birds such as tits or goldfinches, while useless for pigeons and similar perching birds.
In general, pigeons prefer to dine at leisure on the ground, rather than tenuously perched, so if you offer them a reasonable buffet, I'd think they would not bother your feeders. The caveat is that my experience with them was in suburban Connecticut, your situation in the more urbanized UK may be more challenging.
 
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