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01.29.2004 - I was called out to this apartment building because it had a problem with pigeons roosting in the attics. Many of the apartment units had
these large square openings in the stairwells. The openings led right into the roof and attics of the apartments. Pigeons eventually found these openings, and
they provided access to a perfectly safe habitat - the attics. Many pairs of pigeons had established nests in the attic space. This caused a number of problems.
First of all, the tenants of the apartments had to deal with a lot of noise coming from up above - this noise included the flapping and walking around of adult
pigeons, and also the cries of the hatchlings at all hours. The second big problem is that pigeons make a lot of mess. They filled the attic with nesting
material and feathers and dander, and most of all, pigeon waste, in the form of urine and feces. So the attics were filled with pigeon nests and poop. This
created an odor problem in some of the apartments, and even worse, a potential health risk. Pigeon droppings can grow mold, which people can breathe in and
become infected by. This is unacceptable for a residential building.
I was called in to perform a pigeon exclusion. I analyzed the problem. The pigeons were nesting, and the adults entered and exited the large square holes
several times a day to go forage for food and water. I installed special pigeon exclusion devices on the holes, by covering them with steel mesh and installing
a net tube that allowed the pigeons inside to get out, but not fly back in. This tactic eliminated the adult pigeons from the attics. I then entered the attic
spaces and removed the nests and young pigeons by hand. This took care of the bird problem. I was quite pleased with one of my first pigeon exclusion projects.
Alas, the cheap-ass apartments didn't want to pay to have the attics cleaned, thereby exposing tenants to potential health risks, especially over time. In addition,
they still haven't paid me, and it's been several months. I don't like it when customers don't pay me. Perhaps I should start to ask for some money up-front.
Still, it was good to get some experience on a pigeon exclusion project here in Orlando.
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