# Need help with feral pigeon question



## Stlman (Jun 22, 2013)

I work in St. Louis Missouri and we have noticed at my firehouse that Feral pigeons have started pecking at and eating little slivers of wood at the bottoms of either side of the bay door frame trim, we've never had pigeons before now and nobody seems to have an answer to this behavior. We pulled back the trim and there isn't any signs of termites or other pests that may attract birds. I've done multiple online searches and have found nothing explains why feral pigeons eat wood slivers or how to stop it. We don't want pigeons walking around inside our firehouse so I've come here to get answers thanks I can take photos of the damage and the birds eating at the wood if that would help anyone


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Welcome.

Interesting. So the birds come in (how ? thru the rollup doors ?) and they actually pick at the trim and ingest it ? Is it just one piece of trim on one location, or is it the trim on various doors and windows ?

Do they actually ingest the wood or do they fly away with it ?

A pic would be interesting to see.....


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yes, a picture would be great. That sounds odd...........


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## Stlman (Jun 22, 2013)

Jay3 said:


> Yes, a picture would be great. That sounds odd...........


The bay door is up when we see them on both sides of the bay door frame, but the door is recessed so I assume they are stripping the wood when the door is down also. They strip the wood off both sides of the bay opening a few inches up. They don't leave anything behind so I'm guessing they fly away with it or eat it, ill try to post a photo


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## DAK1 (Jan 24, 2010)

Wondering if they could be getting trace elements from something behind the wood maybe drywall or ?


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## Stlman (Jun 22, 2013)

It's an 8"x8" wood base board at the bottom of the frame, we pulled it back and there's just hardwood behind it, my theory is that they are nutrient deficient and are compensating with the wood cellulose but I have found no evidence to support that


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## Stlman (Jun 22, 2013)

i have attached a photo of the wood that the pigeons have stripped they just tear it away like string cheese, im curious if the paint has something to do with it also


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That's weird. I have heard of them eating old plastered walls, in order to get nutrients............but wood? That's a new one.


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## Stlman (Jun 22, 2013)

Yeah now I'm real curious, I may contact the Missouri conservation dept and ask


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

How old is the wood and paint? Some older pressure treated wood has sodium in it. Copper was one of the main minerals to make pressure treated wood. Maybe they are attracted to that.


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## Stlman (Jun 22, 2013)

Aha no telling the house is 104 yrs old I'd say the paints no more than 5-10yrs old. But it looks like they still strip the wood regardless of paint, but I haven't noticed any paint chips left so u only assume they take that also. So maybe whatever it is, is on both the paint and wood. Just more so in the wood which is why there is still paint left on the remainder


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

I would suspect like the others they are trying to get a mineral out of there. I know mice and rat strip old wire because there is a mineral that taste like salt. I would have to ask my father in law but I suspect that a sodium was used in it as it was a better conductor. I would wrap some coil stock around the stripped area. One of 2 things will happen, they will stop and move on or they will find another spot on the wood to start to strip.


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## Stlman (Jun 22, 2013)

Yeah coil stock will be interesting to see if it makes them move or just stop all together, I need to do some more observing to see exactly what they are doing


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

tjc1 said:


> I would suspect like the others they are trying to get a mineral out of there. I know mice and rat strip old wire because there is a mineral that taste like salt. I would have to ask my father in law but I suspect that a sodium was used in it as it was a better conductor. I would wrap some coil stock around the stripped area. One of 2 things will happen, they will stop and move on or they will find another spot on the wood to start to strip.



Is that why they chew on wires? Never knew that!


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

What is that groove up the board is that the way it was set. Looks like two pieces of would. I would suspect that if it is and the rest of the house is not set like that somebody already replace the board. I wonder if the rest of the house has the same set up.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Other more probable answer is that they are building a nest and are not actually eating it, but collecting the bits. I have several feral rescues, and a couple of them just love to get into a pack of drawing pencils. They continually peck at the ends till shavings come away, and like you say, peel them like cheese strings, then use them in the nest. 
Ive even found whole pencils in beside them


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

My father in law taught me that also in some wires there is some fibers. The mice like that because they can make nest for their babies with it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well...............it causes a lot of damage. Never really knew why they liked it.


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