# There's a nest on my porch.



## Srrme (Mar 11, 2012)

We live on the 3rd floor in an apartment, and a pigeon couple has decided to nest right outside our front door. _Literally. _ As soon as you open the door, if you look to the left.. there's a pigeon, sitting on a nest. I didn't have the heart to remove their nest, and now there's 2 eggs (she/he has been sitting on them for about 2 weeks I think). I think one might be dead though, because they left it for hours at a time shortly after it was laid, and it was FREEZING outside, but the other one has been sat on religiously. 

Now.. what can we do once they're hatched? Should we just leave them? I don't want any cats, dogs, or people coming around and eating/killing them. If we move them to our balcony will the parents go to them?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you disturb the nest, there is a good chance that they will abandon them. They should hatch about 18 days from laying them. If you are on the 3rd floor, is there still the chance of a cat getting up there?

Sometimes you can move the nest with the eggs in it, and they will stay with them. Let us know what you decide to do.


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## Srrme (Mar 11, 2012)

There's stairs leading up to our porch, so a cat could come up here if it wanted to. 

If we decided to move the eggs with the nest, how would the parents know where to look? The balcony isn't in the same area. If it will cause them to abandon them, I don't want to risk it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I suppose others use those stairs also, so you couldn't put a barrier or gate up at the bottom of them. How about spraying the bottom few steps with that stuff they use that you spray to keep cats and dogs away?


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

If it isn't a common stair, and the stair only leads to your unit, put up a child gate or something to control access to the porch. If it is a shared stair, then i think you are sorta outta luck beyond Jay's suggestion. the only other thing you can try...I have done this successfully...is to get a piece of plywood or board or something and cover the nesting area, like create a little lean-to 'roof' for it so it is out of sight more. The Pigeons will likely NOT get spooked by that.
A similar idea but a bit more aggressive is to put up a shelf or something like that (a table, a barstool....) to get the nest elevated a bit. I still think it pretty likely the Pigeons would tolerate that...although not as sure a bet as the plywood lean-to. but...safer.

I would tend to agree with you...moving the nest to your balcony if it is not directly adjacent to your door will probably make them just skidaddle.....


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