If pigeons decide to live on your property, they will leave droppings, feathers, and nesting materials, making a mess. These birds also come with a risk of carrying disease, making it very important to do whatever you can to keep them away from your home. You will find plenty of pigeon repellents, both for sale and suggestions of ways to create them yourselves. While some animals have mostly sprays, liquids, and gels as repellents to keep them away, there are also physical repellents for pigeons that work fairly well.

Do They Work?
Before you get too far with planning your pigeon repellents, you need to consider whether they work. The answer will depend on which type of repellent you choose. Some of the gels and other options work by making the birds uncomfortable, but you will need to keep using them indefinitely to truly keep pigeons away. Other options, such as the physical barriers will be almost always effective. Yet other repellents, such as home remedies, tend to be less effective or only work for a short amount of time.

Physical Barriers: Bird Spikes
If you want a successful pigeon repellent and are willing to make modifications to your home, then bird spikes are a good option. This method began with people putting broken glass along key points of their roof and other areas that pigeons would like to land. Over time, this changed to spikes that serve the same purpose but are more visually appealing. These spikes are designed so the pigeons can't land and they won't hurt the birds at all; they simply won't be able to land. You can find a range of styles, sizes, materials, and colors of pigeon spikes so they don't even have to look out of place on your property.

Physical Barriers: Netting
Netting is another way to physically repel pigeons from your property. Simply apply it to areas pigeons are likely to land on or use it to block off specific locations. This is ideal for tall buildings and a completely waterproof method.

Physical Barriers: Bird Slope
Installing a bird slope will also be fairly effective. This involves replacing your current roof structure with a very slippery incline so the pigeons can't get a good grip and will slide off. Some homeowners prefer bird slopes over other physical preventative measures because they are easier to make part of your home's exterior. In other words, most people won't even notice the slope on your roof is steeper than normal.

Bird Gels
Perhaps one of the most common store-bought repellents is bird gel. This is a gel that you place where the pigeons like to land. The idea is that the pigeon will be uncomfortable standing on it and choose to go somewhere else. Keep in mind, however, that a bird gel isn't as effective as the physical repellents mentioned above and will need to be reapplied regularly.

Scary Objects
Some people choose to put various items on their property that are designed to scare away the pigeons. This can be something like tin foil or flash tape or the traditional option of a scarecrow. There are also predator decoys that look and sound like owls, including fake plastic and flashing mylar owls. The thing to remember, however, is that these scare tactics are not typically effective at repelling pigeons. In some cases, you may see results, but you should not count on it. Pigeons will simply see them as decorations or items that are in their roosting area. They know these objects aren't a threat and don't let them influence their choice of where to make a nest. To make these methods more effective, combine them with other pigeon repellents and make sure that you remove potential food and water sources.

If you are lucky, you may be able to get pigeons to stay away if you make it known that another bird or group of birds has already made your property home. It is possible to fake this, but it requires dedication and constantly moving fake birds around. You can also try to attract a single woodpecker to your property, but doing so may lead to other issues.

Chili Pepper
For a pigeon repellent that is incredibly affordable, try making your own solution of chili powder. It may initially scare away the birds or convince them that the area is uncomfortably spicy, but this repellent is not likely to work in the long term. The pigeons will either get used to it or simply ignore the chili pepper. You would also have to constantly reapply the solution every few weeks and after every rainfall.

Talk To A Professional
The absolute best way to repel or prevent pigeons is to work with a professional. A wildlife expert will be able to evaluate your property and let you know what components are attracting pigeons. They can then work with you to fix these issues and remove attractants. Finally, they will suggest effective repellents such as bird spikes.

ent Read the How to get rid of birds page for helpful information and to learn more about Pigeon Repellent