Pigeons are quite common in Malta and while they may seem harmless, the bird species is actually classified as a pest and case pose a number of serious threats. From carrying disease to serious property damage, a pigeon infestation calls for immediate contact with a local pest consultant and thankfully, Malta’s own Arnold Sciberras, also known as The Exterminator, has got to the bottom of it.

The pest consultant’s operation makes use of a pigeon contraceptive, specialised for wild pigeons, which size and shape is particularly design to attract these pigeons and not other species.

The contraceptive takes the shape of bird feed and must be applied gradually and continuously – halting the operation would render the contraceptive useless as the pigeons must consume it for an extended period. The aim of the contraceptive-laced feed is to allow the pigeon to live its regular life but not remain fertile. This would mean that the pigeon would be able to lay eggs but they would not hatch – automatically decreasing the pigeon population.

The feed is distributed via specialised silos, which are allocated in areas with large pigeon populations such as village squares, church roofs and other heavily-populated public spaces. The silos automatically distributed the feed every single day, with The Exterminator’s technicians visiting the sites daily to check on progress on continue maintenance on the silos themselves. Sciberras revealed that The Exterminator Pest Control services cover 180 sites in different zones across Malta and Gozo.

The advantage of such a projects is the fact that, since the product is specialised for a certain kind of pigeon, it cannot affect animals who do not consume the specialised food. Thus, it does not only effectively control the global population, but it exclusively controls and caters to the species without committing any form of cruelty.

Tag someone who CANNOT STAND pigeons.

#MaltaDaily