An inner Gympie home owner says there are up to 600 feral pigeons living under her solar panels

An inner Gympie home owner says she has been struggling to get rid of up to 600 feral pigeons living under the solar panels on her roof and though she has spent thousands of dollars, nothing has worked.

Hundreds of 'feral pigeons' on the overhead wires near Lady Mary Terrace in Gympie. Their growing numbers are a growing concern for residents and the council.

A Lady Mary Terrace property owner has pleaded for Gympie Regional Council to do something about the city’s growing feral pigeon problem, saying she has up to 600 of the birds living under the solar panels on her roof.

“We have been struggling with feral pigeons residing under our solar panels. We are not the only ones in Gympie experiencing this problem. It is plague proportions. We have spent thousands of dollars to address the issue to no avail,” she said.

“These were the pigeons (see photo) that came out from under our solar panels when hosed - only to return. There are between 500-600 pigeons in this photo. The Gympie railway station is also overrun by them.”

A council spokesman said on Tuesday it was aware of feral pigeons in the Gympie region but had no control actions in place as they were not classified as ‘Restricted’ under the QLD Biosecurity Act 2014.

It was, however, “continuing to monitor the situation,” the spokesman said.

“Council is receiving an increased number of reports from residents seeking information about how best to manage pigeons on their private properties,” the spokesman said.

A home owner in Lady Mary Tce said hundreds of the birds were living under the solar panels on the roof of her property, and took a photo of them lined up on the overhead wires after they’d been flushed out with a hose.

Gympie Regional Council said residents experiencing problems with pigeons on their property should “consider the following actions”:

“Prevention:

· Remove access to food sources

· Do not feed birds

· Remove nests promptly

“Exclusion:

· Bird proof your buildings using:

- Netting / wire

- Roosting spikes

- Appropriate pest bird electric deterrents

- Aversion techniques using noise, light and visual deterrents – these usually only work for a period of time before the birds adapt to their presence.

“Control:

· An invasive bird control professional can suggest appropriate options to manage pest birds.

“Feral pigeons have adapted well to urban life.

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“They often roost and nest on the ledges of buildings.

“In large roosting numbers, they can generate a significant amount of excrement and can carry disease, which can have health and property impacts.

“Feral pigeons also compete with native birds for food and water, and can damage crops.”