How to Get Rid of Pigeons
Pigeons usually occupy mostly urban settings where food is plentiful and predators are few and far between. Although they have no natural predators in large cities, in the suburban sphere they are much more easily started, especially when near a nest full of baby pigeons.
Pigeons on the Porch
If you have a screened-in porch that has attracted a family of pigeons, you have a few possibilities as to why they have chosen to settle there. First, you leave a door or entry way open to this porch often enough that a pigeon has decided this is usual behavior and can come and go as it pleases to feed and mate. Second, you have damage to your screen that has allowed the pigeon to believe this is also a natural occurrence and that they will be able to come and go as please. In either case, you need these pigeons to go, and there are a few ways that you can handle this.
If There are Eggs or Baby Pigeons in the Nest in your Porch
If there is a mother nursing baby pigeons in the nest, you should not touch the nest. Once it has been touched by humans, the parents will desert the baby hatchlings and allow them to die. It is an awfully sad situation but it is the truth. In most places, it is illegal to move the nests of nursing birds or nests with eggs in it, as well. Pay attention to local laws and follow them to the letter. Our best advice is to allow the babies to hatch in your porch and leave an opening for them to escape once they have matured. There will be time between when these birds mature and when the mother will hatch new eggs again. Then you can remove the expty nest and seal up the openings to your screened-in porch.
Pigeons Nesting in the Attic or Inside the Home
Pigeons are a non-native species and can be forcefully removed from indoor spaces. If you care about the well being of the pigeons and are willing to deal with the damage their feces leave behind, by all means, wait for them to leave on your own. Most wildlife services will do what's called an exclusion, which involves the installation of devices that create one-way openings for the birds to leave, but not re-enter. This can be a sticky situation if there are eggs in the nest, as some areas have laws protecting bird nests. Do your research before catching and removing nesting birds in your attic.
Use Exclusion Whenever Possible
Wildlife service experts aim to conserve wildlife and help nuisance creatures find new homes. The use of avicide (bird poison) to kill birds is only approved and used by wildlife removal companies in extreme cases. Live exclusion may take longer, but will not result in the odor of dead birds or the bacterias associated with it being inside of your home. It's a win-win for everyone to do live exclusions.
Don't Shoot Pigeons or Other Birds on Your Property
This can be highly dangerous, as well as illicit (illegal). Do not disharge your weapon on a pigeon or other birds in order to remove one or many of these creatures. You may only serve to startle the birds, and end up paying heavy fines. Refer to local Fish & Game and law enforcement for up top date information on shooting invasive birds in your area.