How to avoid pigeons on your balcony

Tired of pigeons on the balcony? Pigeons can be a nuisance as they quickly make your balcony useless. Get tips and tricks against birds here.

Below you will find tips and tricks to ensure that your balcony is not invaded by unwanted pigeons. It is important that you follow the instructions below, as pigeons on the balcony create an unhygienic environment that can attract pests such as lice and fleas and that the pigeons spread infection via their excrement and faeces. The various pests can, under the wrong conditions, easily find access to your home from the balcony.

Make sure the pigeons don't build nests on your balcony

Pigeons in Denmark love to build nests on high buildings and properties - and the balcony in particular is a perfect potential home for the pigeons. Here, in just a few days, a nest can be quickly built, where they lay 1-3 pigeon eggs within a few days.

A typical sign that the pigeons are considering building a nest is that they are regularly seen on the balcony. If you see pigeons on the balcony, it is a good idea to go out on the balcony, then they will typically fly away. However, it can quickly become a demanding task. Therefore, it is recommended to put a scarecrow on the balcony.

Pigeons build their nests at a brisk pace, but can typically be recognized by the sudden appearance of small sticks, branches and metal wires on the balcony or on the ground below the balcony. Pigeons are not as meticulous about building nests as compared to other birds. Nests typically consist of small sticks, branches, leaves and other small objects shaped in a small circle. There are many examples where pigeons build their nests on top of their own excrement.

Pigeons on the balcony can be seen as cozy at first, but you should remove the nests immediately. Studies have known that baby pigeons prefer to stay in the area where they were previously hatched. Therefore, there is a high probability that generations of pigeons will try to build a nest on the same balcony.

A single pigeon can have up to 10 young during a season from March to October. Therefore, you should regularly go out on your balcony during that period to ensure that the pigeons do not have time to build the nest.

If you do not discover the nest, the pigeon eggs will hatch approx. 2-3 weeks after they are placed in the nest. A litter typically consists of two eggs, which is quite few compared to most other bird species.

After the pigeons have hatched, they will stay 3-5 weeks in the nest, after which they are ready to fly from the nest. After the young have "moved" away from home, the nest is quickly ready for the next litter. Pigeons are sexually mature after 6 months - and can live up to 15 years.

Tips to avoid pigeons on the balcony:

✔️ Make sure the pigeons don't build nests on your balcony
✔️ In winter, you can advantageously screen your balcony with bird netting
✔️ Use a speaker that emits birdsong (not recommended if you have neighbors)
✔️ Set up a scarecrow, e.g. an owl or other copy or silhouette of a bird of prey
✔️ Use pigeon spikes, safety brushes or similar on the railing

How to protect yourself against pigeons

If you want to protect yourself against pigeons on the balcony, you can use bird spikes and pigeon spikes which are mounted on the railing. The pigeon spikes are available in several different variants, some in plastic others in iron. Those in iron are most durable, while those in plastic are visually nicest and more neutral.

Alternatively, you can install bird protection brushes , they act as overgrown pipe cleaners, which make it uncomfortable for birds to land on them.

In addition, you can use bird netting to ensure that birds do not have access to your balcony. The bird net is available in different meshes (the size of the net's holes), the smaller the mesh size, the smaller bird species can fly through the net.

An option is also to set up scarecrows , for example a scarecrow owl or other "copies" of birds of prey, which scare the pigeons away from the area. It is advantageous to continuously replace the scarecrow, as the pigeons typically discover after some time that it is not real. It is also advantageous to change the location of the scarecrow, in order to trick the pigeons into thinking it is real.

If you want to catch the pigeons, you can use a pigeon trap , remember to use bait, or if the pigeon has no motivation to go into the trap. The pigeon trap is intended for live capture of pigeons.

If you already have a pigeon nest with pigeon eggs on the balcony, you can replace the pigeon eggs with " fake pigeon eggs".

Note: Pigeons are protected in Denmark and may only be hunted in the winter from mid-October to the end of January.

See local hunting times for pigeons here: https://skadedyrshop.dk/info/jagttabel