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Destruction of Pigeons - Public Health Act, 1981
The contract with a firm specialising in the destruction of pigeons was
renewed, and the continuation of this work resulted in the destruction of 3,258 feral
pigeons.
A good idea of the work of pigeon control is contained in the following article
which appeared in Municipal Engineering, and which I reprint with the kind permission
of the Editor:-
"Pigeon nuisance in Ealing - 7 cu yd of droppings from one house
A small public open space near the centre of a busy shopping centre in
West Ealing has been favoured for some time as a day-time feeding place for a
large flock of wild pigeons. The director of parks has been concerned because
his brightly coloured display of polyanthus and other flowers was being
attacked.
During daylight hours the roofs of buildings on the main road facing the
open space were being used between feeds as resting-places, and there was a
considerable nuisance from fouling of these buildings and their surroundings.
The contractor engaged by the council to reduce pigeon infestations in
the borough in accordance with section 74 of the Public Health Act 1961 had
been unable to carry out any effective treatment owing to his inability to trace
the roosting places.
It was considered that the area was unsuitable for the use of narcotised
baits owing to the amount of motor and pedestrian traffic and the restricted
size of the area.
Then one day recently the district public health inspector observea a
pigeon walking into a hole in the roof of a house about 150 yds from the main
road, and he decided to investigate.
He found evidence of a huge and long-standing infestation of Digeons in
the second-floor attic rooms of the house, with extensive fouling of the floors,
the discarded furniture ana other articles which had been left lying about in
these rooms. The pigeons had penetratea down to first-floor level, ana there
was further fouling of the upper staircase and landing and the first-floor bathroom.
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