Deterrents, exclusion and cleanup for pigeons roosting on ledges, fire escapes, cornices, rooftops and air-conditioner sleeves.
Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Pigeon control in New York means making a roosting spot unusable, not chasing the birds off one day at a time. A technician inspects the ledge, fire escape or roof, fits spikes, slopes or netting, and cleans droppings. New York Pest Control serves New York County and the surrounding boroughs; the price is confirmed before work.
In a city of cornices, window ledges, fire escapes and elevated train lines, a pigeon rarely has to look far for a flat, sheltered place to sit. Ledges and elevated structures can attract them, and once birds have used a spot for a season they tend to keep coming back to it. The droppings, noise and nesting material follow, and they land on balconies, air-conditioner units, stoops and the sidewalk below.
This service is about the building rather than the bird. A local technician looks at where the birds land, what they are using for shelter and who is responsible for that part of the structure, then proposes a deterrent that fits the surface. In a multi-unit building that last question matters, because a fire escape or a roof is usually the owner's or the board's to deal with, while a window ledge or an air-conditioner sleeve may be yours. For a problem that is only on one tenant's side, we can often treat just that spot; for a facade, a roofline or a shared stair landing, the work is better planned with the managing agent.
Never climb onto a fire escape ledge or roof edge to clear droppings or nests yourself, and do not fix anything to a fire escape that could block the way out. Keep children and pets away from dry droppings and do not sweep them dry.
We have no sourced local price for bird work, so we do not print one here. Price depends on how much surface is covered, how high it is and how much cleanup is needed.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection of ledges, fire escape and roof | Quoted on site | depends on how many levels and spots |
| Droppings and nest cleanup | Quoted on site | depends on the amount and how hard it is to reach |
| Spikes, slope panels or wire | Quoted on site | priced by length of surface covered |
| Netting or screening of an alcove or opening | Quoted on site | priced by size, height and access |
Estimates are confirmed on site before any work starts. Work above a few storeys, over a street or on a facade usually needs access equipment, which adds to the quote.
Narrow rows of spikes or angled panels stop a bird from standing flat on a window ledge, sill or cornice shelf. They suit stone and brick ledges where the surface is regular, and they are the usual first choice for a single stubborn perch.
Netting closes an open alcove, under-roof space or equipment platform so birds cannot get in at all, and screens cover vents and openings. It needs a clean fixing line, so it is planned with the owner for larger areas.
Fine wire strung along a parapet, railing or fire escape rail makes landing awkward without covering the whole surface. A cleanup-only visit removes droppings and nest material when the birds have already moved on.
Most pigeon & bird control calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Pigeons return to a ledge because it offers a flat, dry, sheltered place to rest, and birds that have used it before tend to come back. Cleaning the surface and fitting a deterrent removes the reason; shooing the birds only moves them for an hour.
A ledge under a cornice or beside a window ticks every box: it stays out of the rain, it is hard to reach from the street and it is often warm from the building below. Droppings left in place can act as a marker, so a ledge that has only been scared and never cleaned is likely to be reused.
This is also why one tenant fitting a deterrent can send the birds to the next window along. If several windows on a line have the same problem, treating all of them at once gives the birds nowhere to go.
In a multiple dwelling, the fire escape, roof, cornice and facade generally belong to the owner or the co-op or condo board, while a window ledge or air-conditioner sleeve may be yours. Report it in writing to the managing agent and keep a copy; call 311 if it is not dealt with.
The 1901 New Tenement Law is one reason older walk-ups have fire escapes at all, and those escapes are now a common perch. Because they are part of the building's means of egress, nothing should be fixed to one without the owner's agreement, and the technician will not leave anything that blocks the path out.
If your building sits in a designated historic district, it is sensible to ask the owner or board before anything is fixed to a facade. Our guide to landlord and tenant pest responsibility sets out who normally handles what in a New York building.
Light, damp cleanup of a small area is something many people do, but heavy or dry droppings are better left to a technician. Dried droppings can put dust into the air, which is a respiratory concern for some people, so wear a mask and gloves and never sweep dry droppings.
On a fire escape or high ledge, the bigger risk is the fall. A technician brings the right gear for height, bags the waste for disposal and cleans the surface so a deterrent will hold.
People with asthma, a weakened immune system or a baby in the flat should keep away from the area until it has been cleaned. If you are unsure, call and describe what you see.
Standard spikes, slopes, wire and netting are physical deterrents designed to stop birds landing, not to injure them. Netting must be fitted tight and checked, because a loose net can trap a bird. Tell the technician if a ledge is also used by other birds you want to keep.
Poisons and traps are not part of the ordinary toolkit for building ledges. The aim is to make the spot awkward to use, so the birds roost somewhere that is not your windowsill.
Well-fitted spikes, slopes, wire and netting can last for years, but they need to be inspected and cleaned, since debris can build up and give birds a landing spot again. The technician will tell you what to check and how often, and the report records what was fitted and where.
Weather, sun and the surface they are fixed to all matter. A deterrent fixed to crumbling mortar or flaking paint will not hold, so some surfaces need repair first, and that is a job for the owner or a builder.
If birds move to a neighbouring ledge, the sensible answer is to extend the treatment along the line, not to add more material in the same place. The technician will tell you if that is what is happening.
The technician looks at where birds land, perch and sleep, from the stoop and window ledges up to the fire escape, cornice and roof, and notes which parts are yours and which belong to the owner.
You hear which deterrent suits each surface and what it costs before any work starts. If the work is on a shared roof or facade, you can take the written plan to the owner, managing agent or board.
Droppings and nesting material are removed with care before anything is fitted, since deterrents fixed over a dirty ledge hold poorly and the smell keeps drawing birds back.
Spikes, slope panels, tensioned wire or netting go on the surfaces the birds were using, and open vents, gaps and sleeves are screened or closed where that is allowed.
You get a report listing the spots treated and what was fitted. A short follow-up call or visit can be booked to see whether the birds have moved to a neighbouring ledge.
New York gives a pigeon a lot to work with: stone cornices, brick parapets, rooftop water tanks and equipment, fire escapes on tenement walk-ups and elevated lines such as the Broadway elevated in Bushwick, the N/W elevated along 31st Street in Astoria and the Roosevelt Avenue line in Jackson Heights. We do not have local counts of birds, and we will not guess at them. What a technician can tell you is where the ledges and covered spaces are on your own building.
Building type decides the fix. A pre-war co-op with deep window ledges, a Bushwick row with a shallow cornice and a Staten Island house with open eaves each need something different. The owner or board of a building should always be part of the discussion on roofs and facades. Pigeon trouble near an eatery can also bring flies and rodents to the same spot, so a restaurant owner may want to read about restaurant and commercial pest control.
Weather matters in a mild way. Birds start nesting as the weather warms in spring, and a deterrent fitted before May is easier than one fitted around an active nest. Winter and early spring are good times to ask for an inspection, and a technician who has to work outside in the snow or on an icy roof will reschedule for safety.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Pest control for restaurants, delis, bodegas and shops, planned around bins, back doors and the apartments upstairs.
Nest identification and removal for wasps, yellowjackets and hornets under eaves, on fire escapes and around rooftop equipment.
Coordinated pest control for New York walk-ups, co-ops and rowhouses, where treating one apartment rarely solves the problem.
Yes, a technician can clear nesting material from around a window unit or sleeve and fit a screen or slope so the birds cannot rebuild. If the nest has eggs or young birds in it, tell us when you call, because the approach may need to change and the visit timed accordingly.
Sometimes, yes. Birds that lose one perch look for the next flat spot, so treating a whole line of windows or the whole fire escape works better than a single sill. A technician will point out where the birds are likely to go next and whether it is worth treating that spot too.
Yes. Awnings, signs, outdoor seating canopies and entrance ledges all attract birds. Work over a public sidewalk may need extra access arrangements, which a technician will explain in the quote, and the owner's permission is needed for anything fixed to the front of the building.
Phones are answered 24/7, and a visit is booked the same day when a technician is free. Bird work is rarely an emergency, so you may be offered a scheduled slot, especially if access equipment is needed for a high ledge.
Yes, the service covers Hudson and Essex County towns too, in areas such as Hoboken and Jersey City. New Jersey work follows New Jersey rules, and the technician will explain anything that differs from a New York job.
Not by themselves. But droppings and spilled food on a roof or ledge can draw other pests, and mice and rats are often the next call. If you also see signs of rodents, ask about rat control when you book.