# I Need To Move Baby Pigeons From My Balcony



## TBTB (May 22, 2014)

Unfortunately I need to move baby pigeons from my small third-story balcony. One is just a few hours old, one is still an egg which I expect to hatch later today or tomorrow. Both the mother and father are still present. How can I do this without harming the babies? Here are the reasons why the pigeons need to be moved:

1. Fear of Mites

Let me start by saying that our neighbor developed a mite infestation from the pigeons who were living on his balcony. He was severely bitten by these mites. 

The nest on our balcony is next to the sliding door. My two-year old daughter plays inside our apartment on the carpet next to the door and my husband sleeps on the couch which is also next to the door. I am pregnant, due in a few weeks and will not risk a mite infestation with a small child and newborn. I also will not use pesticides or chemicals around children.

2. The Building Inspector is Coming

My unit is due for an inspection next week. When he sees the nest I know he will order it to be removed and I doubt that he will care if it is removed in a humane way.

Any advice is much appreciated!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The babies will be grown and gone in about 4 weeks. If you move the nest now...mom and dad will abandon the babies and they will die.
The odds of finding someone with the skill level to raise such young babies is slim. If you can give them a week, it would be easier but still hard.
Just because you have pigeons on your balcony, doesn't mean they have mites. Not all birds do.
I suspect you can talk the building inspector into leaving them, if he notices them, if you explain they will be gone in a short time and you will not allow any more pigeons to build a nest there.
You must have noticed the pigeons nesting there, why did you not remove the nest after they built it?


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Hello TBTB,
Thanx for showing concerns for those innocent infants. Most would have done them away without showing any mercy.
As has already been explained,not all pigeons carry considerable amount of parasites. The pair living at your place may carry some but they won't bother your family hopefully. I know your being protective of your children especially the soon to be born(congrats) I would have thought of doing the same. But it shall be very kind of you if you can let this pair raise their offsprings,as they're parents too and will feel very sad if they lose their children. You would just have to wait for 22-28 days. Pigeon babies grow very fast and will fly away soon. After they raise young don't let them make nest again by blocking the nesting site/ changing arrangements so they don't nest again.

For mites/other parasites you can use permethrin/Carbyl dust. All needs to be done is sprinking small amounts of this dust around the nest(not on squabs) and there will be no problem of parasites. If you can't find these named insecticides you can use ANY powder that is used on dogs/cats for ticks,fleas etc. You can easily find it.
Thnx


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## TBTB (May 22, 2014)

Charis said:


> You must have noticed the pigeons nesting there, why did you not remove the nest after they built it?


Unfortunately I didn't notice the pigeons until a few days ago and I've been scouring the internet for help ever since. There is a construction site directly behind my building, less than 15 feet away. Anyone working at the site has an unobstructed view into my unit through the balcony's sliding glass door so I keep the blinds closed for privacy. This is why I didn't see the nest and eggs which were hidden behind a rolled up carpet that was leaning against the balcony wall near the door. I use the term "nest" loosely - it's really just a few leaves on the floor next to the baby pigeon and unhatched egg.


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## TBTB (May 22, 2014)

Jass SamOplay said:


> After they raise young don't let them make nest again by blocking the nesting site/ changing arrangements so they don't nest again.


Thanks for the information Jass SamOplay. I will plan to block the nesting site after the young are grown. I've read that pigeons may lay more eggs before the previously hatched babies leave the nest. Do you know what to do in this situation?

Thanks again. Your time is much appreciated.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

TBTB said:


> Thanks for the information Jass SamOplay. I will plan to block the nesting site after the young are grown. I've read that pigeons may lay more eggs before the previously hatched babies leave the nest. Do you know what to do in this situation?
> 
> Thanks again. Your time is much appreciated.


Yes you've heard the right thing. Mated pigeon couples do start to mate to start over again when the young are about to wean but that usually happens with domestic pigeons or those feral pairs who have used a particular nesting site over and over again. Since your pigeon pair has laid there for the first time, chances of them laying again before their young wean are 50-50. But if the pair lay again then simply toss the eggs right away. The eggs don't have life in them when laid. Life develops in them after 5 days of incubation. So there's no sin in throwing the eggs right away when they're laid to avoid killing of embryos/infants later. You'll need to keep an eye on them. I do this,infact all pigeon keepers do this all the time. We throw the real eggs away and replace them with dummy plastic or wooden eggs when we don't want more babies. Pigeons keep sitting but dummy eggs never hatch. Pigeons abandon them after incubating them for 18-22 days.
As soon as the present young wean,clear the nest away and change the arrangements. Pigeons may try to find another spot on your balcony so don't leave any other potential nesting spot


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## serinus (Nov 3, 2009)

*mites*

if you are worried about mites dust the nest area with diatomaceous earth.
it's the active ingredient in most overpriced poultry mite powders.
Entirely natural mite control, no chemicals involved.

If you want to let them raise the brood put some camouflage around the nest, like a potted plant infront of it or similar, then the inspector won't see it!!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

TBTB said:


> Unfortunately I didn't notice the pigeons until a few days ago and I've been scouring the internet for help ever since. There is a construction site directly behind my building, less than 15 feet away. Anyone working at the site has an unobstructed view into my unit through the balcony's sliding glass door so I keep the blinds closed for privacy. This is why I didn't see the nest and eggs which were hidden behind a rolled up carpet that was leaning against the balcony wall near the door. I use the term "nest" loosely - it's really just a few leaves on the floor next to the baby pigeon and unhatched egg.


it can be easy to miss. 

the diatomaciouse earth is a good idea and may make you feel better. you can even gently dust the babies when they feather out when the parent birds leave them for longer periods. the thing is it is rare for the mite to see a food source in humans , that is not their host.. but.. "When their normal host is not present they may also bite humans, causing discomfort and skin irritations. Fortunately, they do not reproduce on human blood, rarely transmit diseases or otherwise cause a health hazard to people.


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