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If you live in an urban center, you are probably accustomed to the presence of the domestic pigeon. Like other urban critters, pigeons have managed to thrive in urban environments and can be found readily at your local park, atop the skyscrapers that line the city, or even on the railings of your own balcony in the sky. For many, the cooing of pigeons is just part of the city soundscape - a friendly reminder that urban development hasn’t completely ridden the area of all wildlife.
While we accept their presence as ubiquitous with urban living, we don’t really question their prevalence in almost all cities across the globe. This begs the question:
So… Why are pigeons so commonly found in cities?
The first thing you should know about pigeons is that they are actually doves. In fact, doves and pigeons are essentially the same bird. Today’s pigeons are descendants of “rock doves”, coastal birds that are accustomed to building their nests atop high cliffs - not so different from the heights of multi-storey towers that mark modern-day cities. Over time, humans decided to domesticate these doves and transport them across the continents. Naturally, some of them escaped captivity and bred over time to achieve other adaptable city-dwelling traits. Such traits include the ability to produce many offspring (up to 10 chicks annually), and the ability to stomach almost anything (including garbage).
The Problems Pigeons Pose
While some urbanites think fondly of city-dwelling pigeons, there is also a nasty side to living in close proximity with them. Pigeons and other nesting bird droppings have been known to pose a health risk to those exposed to it, and can lead to diseases such as Histoplasmosis, Salmonella and Psittacosis (to name a few). Untreated pigeon droppings can also result in extensive property damage - especially when left for extended periods of time. Luckily, there exists a pigeon deterring solution that preserves the sanctity of your balconies and limits your exposure to them and their droppings.
A Humane Solution
Pigeon nets like InvisiNet are the perfect answer to shielding yourself and your property from the negative implications of pigeon droppings. As pigeons have adapted to city living, we too must adapt to their presence in a humane and safe way. Pigeon netting companies such as Balcony Nets have addressed this challenge head on. As a structurally-safe, humane, and light-weight deterrence solution, the Invisinet pigeon net was designed to suit the needs of property managers, owners, and residents of multi-storey urban dwellings that are susceptible to the perils of pigeon droppings.
For all your pigeon netting needs, be sure to call Balcony Nets today!