Get rid of the eggs. It will be a bit difficult, because mommy pigeon will sit during the night and daddy pigeon will take his turn during the day. But chase them away and get rid of that nest and those eggs. Block any areas where they can achieve any kind of "privacy" for their nests. And watch out for them, because they will continue to try to lay/hatch their eggs out there.

If you allow the eggs to hatch, there will be a big mess; the real problem is that the baby birds (and their parents) will stay on your balcony until they learn how to fly - which can take a couple of months.

Once you allow the babies to hatch on your balcony, you will have the problem every year - they'll be back to lay eggs over and over and over.

Pigeon babies hatched on my terrace a few years ago - I did not notice them until they were already hatched, in a cold February. I simply could not harm the babies, and they stayed there until mid-April.

Since that time, they come back every year to lay eggs. But I try to stay vigilant. Last year, I got rid of 9 eggs; so far this year, I've gotten rid of one.

The pigeon poop is annoying enough, but they'll also get very comfortable on your balcony and begin pecking at (and possibly destroying) your plants.

So my advice is - get rid of that nest and eggs. Don't just block access and allow the eggs to die - those pigeon parents will find a way to get to their eggs, believe me.

PV

Thanks for the advice. They seem to be pretty neglectful parents at any rate... The nest was abandoned pretty much all evening (I checked several times) until past midnight, but they were back this morning. Not sure how long the eggs can go without incubation, so maybe they're already doomed.

I'll probably be moving (to a larger apartment in the same building) in the summer, so I'm not so concerned about them returning, however, I AM concerned about them tearing up my plants.

Thanks again,

G

PVick and I have both been there done that. It may appear that they aren't around but they are. Mom is usually there on the eggs at night and she goes out during the day to eat. Soon as they hatch, Mom eats by day and watches babes at night and Pop watches babies by day and is kicked out of the house at night to fend for himself. LOL

Yes they do make a mess (poop mess) in the corner that they are born in and each season, I've had to routinely keep checking the various areas out on balcony to make sure that they (or their progeny) don't come back to nest as their passed-down from generation to generation routine. LOL

{{gwi:1226}}

BTW, the above pic of the baby sleeping on its back, which seemed to be a favorite of one of regular posters, was on its back because when I walked over, Dad saw me and made a bee-line out of there, tripping over the baby causing it to flip over, while he ran to go fly off. LOL Whenever Mom was there with them, she looked at me and I at her and we went about our business. ;-)

As adults before they flew off for (just about) good, they looked like this:

{{gwi:1227}}

Jenny, you have a beautiful balcony and I love your pics! I occasionally get a pair of pigeons. I actually feed them time to time, esp. in winter, as it thoroughly entertains my cat to watch them. We rolled up our grass carpet for the winter and in early spring--lo and behold, those pigeons wanted to start nesting inside the roll. I saw them pull a dead vine in there, and later they were kissing and mating right out in plain view! (Had to cover poor kittie's eyes.) So ... I stopped up the carpet roll ASAP to keep them out. Due to my cat, I knew I couldn't let them nest there. Now that spring is here, I finally rolled out the carpet and taped it down. The birds come back occasionally, which is fine. Congrats on your beautiful space.

Thanks roxcandy! Yeah, when those pidgeons get to going out there, that's when I have to break that stuff up. They make such a cooing racket. LOL

My balcony is screened but I had a really peculiar bird problem on the roof last year:

I planted some silver thyme in one of my rooftop pots, which I access through the window near my computer. I watched it grow through the summer, and finally I decided there was enough to start using and wrote it into the menu. One day as I sat here typing, I noticed a little sparrow perched on the edge of the pot, looking at me! This happens once in a while; sometimes jays eat acorns that fall into my pots. I smiled and continued whatever I was doing. Sometime later I looked up and there he was again! I stood up to get a closer look, and the bird pulled up a piece of thyme! I opened the window and waved him off, and he took off with it, likely to embellish his nest.

I called the cat over and convinced him to sit in the window, where he often watches birds himself. But his vigilance was limited. A few days later, there was nothing left of the thyme but a tiny sprig, which hung in there a few weeks before dying. And I had to take a recipe off my grocery list because it hurt my pride to buy fresh herbs when I'd waited all summer to have my own!!

Still, it entertains me to think of the little sparrows in their variegated, pungently scented nest.

Whytephoenix, that is a cute story! I bet that little sparrow has a very cozy nest! I'm unique in that I live in the city and work in the 'burbs--I feed the little birdies here at work with a stick-on bird feeder--but all we get at home are pigeons. So, I feed and love them up too...tho they sure aren't as cute as tiny sparrows or finches.

My sister had pigeons nesting on a windowsill of her bedroom in her third floor apartment. Suddenly she noticed a lot of itchy spots all over her body. It turned out to be some sort of mites from the pigeons! Better get them out of there!!!

Calgary G - that is my exact situation. Does anyone know how long it takes for the eggs to hatch. I've already gotten rid of one, but am wondering how often I should be checking. Also, when will they stop coming around - they are driving me crazy!!!

A couple weeks ago, I had to get rid of 2 eggs myself. They kept coming back for about 2 weeks to try to build another nest and whenever I saw them, I tried to chase them away - which is hard when I'm at work all day but I just kept at it whenever I was home.

From my original experience with them, I think it took maybe a month for the eggs to hatch. After that, they grew quickly and looked like full grown adults in about 2 more months. They did a little practice flying off my containers and eventually flew away.

It seems that February/March and then later on in summer, are the mating times, and you have to be vigilant.

Speaking of pigeons - just found Mommy sitting on a nest jammed up behind the pot with my fig tree. I've obviously not been vigilant enough...........

PV

Yeah PV, I know the feeling. I had to chase off yet another pair yesterday morning when I heard them going at it under my shelves. :-\ Just have to get past this time of year....

Hello! I have a big pigeon dilemma. I have a small ledge outside my apt building. On the floor above me, the pigeons tend to poop all over this ledge. When I say poop, there is an abundance of it!! How do I prevent this? How do I clean this (it is so unsanitary!)? Someone mentioned an orning of some type outside my windows. Any ideas? Anything you have would help tremendously!

I have found the best way to approach the pigeon problem is actually a fairly simple one. This is what you will need:
1- pepper spray (preferably military grade)
2- a towel
3- some string
4- a skillet
5- a camping stove
6- nonstick cooking spray
7- seasonings

What you do is torment the pigeons for a while with pepper spray for several days for kicks. After you have gotten your laughs you bring out the towel and string. At this point you need to throw the towel over one of the pigeons. Wrap the pigeon up tightly but allow its head to stick out. Then, proceed to tie the pigeon down. Turn on the camping stove and heat the skillet. Apply nonstick cooking spray to the skillet liberally. Make sure the pigeon can has a good view of the skillet. Proceed to crack the eggs and fry them right in front of the pigeon. Go ahead and cook up some bacon and toast. Apply salt and pepper to taste. Then eat your breakfast in front of the pigeon. FYI, pigeon eggs taste like quail eggs. The pigeons usually come back and roost again. So, you will be able to get a delicious breakfast every now and again. Hope this helps.

adambellestam - OMG LOL!

This past summer through to present, the pigeons have been the worst that I have ever had them. Over that period, I have had nearly 10 nesting couples try (and a couple succeeded) to breed out there. It has been a nightmare continually chasing them away but obviously I can't be home 24/7 to do that.

YEAP, I've got the same problem. It's the very reason I refuse to plant any type of vegetable on my bacony. I fear the birds will poo all over what I would have to ingest.Here in Chicago in ur downtown area, they have put large fake OWLS on the highrise buildings. The pegeons are scared to death of owls and you can't blame them with eye's like they have. I plan on finding me some for sure. I also am concerned for my cat walking through that stuff and coming back inot the house. GROSS!!!!!!

Fake owls don't work here on the pigeons. They eventually sit on the head like it's another place to perch. Actually your cat might be helpful for keeping the pigeons away assuming it is trained to use the litter box... but you can also use Liquid Fence sprayed around to try to keep it from digging and pooing.

Fake snakes & owls are a bit more effective if moved to a new location every day or so.

DO get rid of the pigeons now. They are filthy critters -- morning doves are just as bad by the way. Let some doves nest on my balcony once. Will never happen again. In contrast, the robins who later nested in the same area were much cleaner [mom carried the poop away].

Well I went out there yesterday and saw 2 fledgings about ready to fly sitting on one of my lilacs. I have been chasing pairs away and destroying eggs all year including through the winter when I could get out there, but missed this latest pair - most likely hatched and hidden during some of the snow and ice storms that we had in late March and early April. :-\

This is my first spring in the city, and about a month ago my room mate told me a pigeon had built a nest on our balcony underneath a tarp that we use as shelter in the winter. It was rolled up in the corner beside an old couch we keep there as well.
I checked it out and noticed a few eggs, diceptively white and clean. The 'nest' was pretty pathetic, a small ring of twigs, so I disregarded it and it left my mind until a week after when I looked again and saw that one of them hatched! MAN those things are ugly creatures, and horribly messy as well.
I disposed of the second egg before it hatched, but now i'm left with a (fastly) growing pigeon on my balcony.

I've since moved the couch aside and moved the tarp slightly to that the nest isn't so sheltered as it was, but I'm sure I'll have to wait for the baby to learn how to fly before I can clean it all up.
Oh, and it's kind of sad how unprotective the parents are. Every time I come outside the parents fly away leaving the young unprotected. Sad.

gham - don't worry. They are VERY protective and be assured that the parents will return post haste! They can't really do anything against something as big as a person though (I've never seen a pigeon become aggressive), but they are very dedicated to their chicks. I just bought some "Bird-B-Gone" spikes to put out on my balcony ledge corner where they tend to congregate the most and would eventually like to line the entire ledge (but the spikes are a bit expensive). Am hoping to get them to roost somewhere else. Was also hoping my tiny but aggressive ruby throated hummers would buzz them away but I guess that is a fantasy. LOL

LOL, Jenny! Guess it would depend on how much the hummers think your balcony is their territory ...

I have had a momma pigeon get quite aggressive with me - I was trying to get her away from her eggs so I could get rid of them. She puffed up something fierce and made steps toward me! Had to throw hot water in her direction to get her away.

Then again, my resident male pigeon, Cirillo, got snagged in some bird netting one year and I actually had to put my hands on him to get him out. He seemed grateful enough. He's the one who chases the other pigeons away from "his" terrace - kind of funny to watch!

I don't know what I did, but they seem to have found another place to nest - I've not found any eggs at all this year. But I noticed that Cirillo has a new wife (his third since we've been acquainted), and they've been trying to cuddle up here lately. No nests yet though ....

PV

I guess im a bit of a tree hugger cause i would find it hard to "get rid of the eggs". I dont have the heart to destroy an already made nest. I would consider it a lesson learned and be more vigilant about preventing them to set up shop next year though..

prehaps you can more your plants away from the nest so as to minimize the damage? Maybe a birdhouse?

How long can the eggs be unattended to before they die...I ask the question because I saw the nest on my terrace and disrupted it to prevent them from laying eggs. The next day there were two eggs laid where the nest used to be. I felt bad so built a little shelter and put some leaves and twigs there and moved the eggs (using a stick) onto the new nest. The male and female stayed away for two days, then the female came back and has been sitting on the eggs ever since. I now noticed that the male has been there on and off.

I had a pigeon build a nest in an empty planter on my balcony. Didn't make too much of a mess except directly around the planter. No more than a bird feeder does. Hatched her two babies there and watched them grow up and take off. Mom never came back to use the nest again. Was hoping she would because it was so fun to watch. Having read the other comments, I wonder if trying to get rid of the nest and/or eggs right away causes them to try again there? Just a thought. I looked at it as a gift. And because you are asking for advice to begin without already destroying the nest, I think you might have a hard time destroying the eggs if all you cared about was the mess they might cause. My teacher at vet tech school at the time who grew up in South Africa said that when a bird builds a nest on your house, it is considered to be a blessing from God.means you're considered a worthy soul to be chosen for such an honor. Thought that was pretty cool - esp. When a couple months later a pair of goldfinches made their nest in my hanging Chinese lantern on the same deck.h

Well, let's be honest, had we not plowed down all the trees to build our houses, the birds would have plenty of nesting places. Ok, so they poop--who doesn't?! Their poop is prime fertilizer!!!!! We have them nesting on our balcony, & it just requires a little extra sweeping & hosing off now & again, but the joy of them & their antics all but makes up for it. The kids have put a lot less time on video games while naming & spying on the birds. I've caught them & dusted them all with lice powder from pet shop, since that can definitely be a problem, and now they are healthy & have added a lot of fun & a natural touch to our balcony--and they NEVER touch our plants & flowers--but like I said, their fertilizer is amazing when swept into the garden--so they are more than welcome here!

I couldn't get rid of the eggs or harm the pigeons in any way. I currently have a 12 day old squab on my balcony. One of the two eggs failed to hatch. I've had fun watching them. I'll just clean the mess when the little squab flies away.

I was just thinking I'm about to get my balcony back when the little guy flies off in a day or two, and now the mother has just laid another egg in the nest so here we go again. It is annoying but I just can't hurt them. It's one of God's more annoying creatures but God's creature nonetheless. After this next one hatches, I'll let it grow and then destroy the nest, egg or no egg. My cats are very entertained by them. Hardly ever play with the cat toys anymore.

They usually lay eggs in sets of two, so look out for the second egg in a couple of days. Years back when pigeons hatched on my balcony, it was close to three months before the babies finally vacated the premises.