Stop Pigeons from digging up front yard

Question
I live in NYC, I have two small parcels of yard in front of my house, which I have planted with Seedum.  This has been there for over 30 years.  Now, for no reason I can figure, pigeons have been digging up the seedum and throwing it everywhere.  So far they have destroyed over half of my yard.  Is there anything I can use to keep them away and at the same time not irritate my neighbors?  I would think there must be something that I can put on the yard that the pigeons wouldn't like and would keep them away.  Does such a thing exist?

Answer
***Hi,

I do not know of anything that can be applied to keep the pigeons away. Finding out where they hang out and blocking off the area would be a good start. If your yard area is small enough, you could try to place some chicken wire (wire mesh) over the top of the area, about a foot off the ground. It will keep the pigeons from landing in the area and digging up the plants. It needs to be enclosed along the sides as well so pigeons cannot walk in and you can tie some strips of tinfoil to it so when the wind blows, it moves! I hope this helps!

Stacie***



Hi John,

It can be quite difficult to keep pigeons away. If you were to put something out in the yard to scare them off, they soon become used to the object and come back. One thing you might want to do is to keep watch over your yard and whenever you see the pigeons attempting to land or when they are in your yard, promptly chase them off. You can also clap your hands loudly to startle them. Do they roost nearby?

Stacie