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Feral pigeons becoming a nuisance in Lithgow

Sep 22, 2018

Feral pigeons are causing havoc in Lithgow, and the growing number of birds, particularly in the warmer months, has prompted local officials to do something about it.

The onus however falls on property owners. In fact, property owners have the responsibility of controlling pigeons, just as they are responsible for pest control on their properties.

The Lithgow City Council is encouraging property owners in the Lithgow CBD area to take action, and has provided a Fact Sheet to assist them in understanding pigeon control methods

The local authority has acted, it says, due to the increasing nuisance of feral pigeons to pedestrians and visitors to the area.

In other areas, councils have called on the business community to jointly fund a control program, however the Lithgow Council says it is reluctant to go down that road as such a program is expensive, and given the current economic climate in the city, it would be difficult to ask business owners to carry the burden.

The Council says it has chosen to provide information to property owners and encourage them to put in place reasonable measures relevant to their properties.

A letter has gone out to owners of property in the CBD which includes a Pigeon Control Fact Sheet advising of some of the possible control techniques that can be implemented. The Pigeon Control Fact Sheet can be found on the Council’s Pest Management webpage.

“Depending on the extent of a pigeon problem at an individual property, some of the techniques outlined in the Fact Sheet can be employed by a trip to the local hardware store and some work by a competent tradesperson,” a Council statement said. “However, owners of properties impacted by nesting or roosting pigeons are encouraged to seek the services of a commercial pest controller for specific advice on control and eradication measures.”

“One important method that all property owners and business proprietors can employ is eliminating the food source for feral pigeons.  This can be achieved by securing garbage bins and never feeding pigeons,” the Lithgow Council statement said.

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