Pigeons: The 11th plague

We all know them, we all hate them. They are pigeons. Or if you prefer, “rats with wings.” As with squirrels, they are fine in rural or suburban settings where there numbers are limited, but in urban areas they can be a real pain. They are noisy when they roost and I don’t need to tell you about the mess they leave behind. So how do you get rid of them?

There is no one answer to that question. Pigeon spikes have been know to be effective as have fake owls. Both of these techniques have improved over the years, but they have their shortcomings. First off, they are both ugly. Spikes make your gutters look like they are lined with barbed wire. Owls… well owls make it look like there are big fake owls on your property. Another problem with owls is that they tend to lose their effectiveness over time. The pigeons seem to eventually figure out that the owl isn’t real and quit paying attention to it.

You’re not wasting your time if you go with either of the methods listed above, but I have always thought that there had to be a simpler approach to this problem. It turns out that there just might be. Its called Hot Foot. Its a glue like gel that is applied to the areas of a property being plagued by pigeons. Along your gutters for instance. Unlike traditional glue, this product remains tacky indefinitely. When a pigeon steps on the effected area they don’t like the sensation and won’t come back for a repeat visit.

As of yet, I have not had the chance to use this product, but it sounds like a great option. I checked out a few reviews on the internet that had positive things to say, but feedback seems to be minimal at this point. The one contractor I know who had used it seemed quite happy with the results. I am not sure whether this or other similar products are available at the big hardware stores, but I found quite a few options online. Hot Foot is sold for $98.00 (4 tubes) on their website, but I would imagine you can find a comparable product for much cheaper if you looked around.

So whats the word on this stuff? Ever use it before? I would love to hear some feedback.