Two Derby women are furious after hundreds of pigeons nest every week, causing chaos in their home. Jane Rice and Janet Holland, of Top Fieldsway Drive, Breadsall Hill, say the fluttering birds continue to ruin their lives.
Ms Rice said the pigeons had been wreaking havoc since social housing company Places For People installed solar panels on the roofs of houses in the street during the coronavirus pandemic. The birds were such a nuisance that Miss Rice said she had to move her bedroom so she could sleep at night.
Pigeons are known to be attracted to rooftop solar panels because of the warmth they provide. This makes it an ideal place for nesting and living for long periods of time.
However, this resulted in pigeon droppings falling near two objects, posing a potential health hazard to Miss Rice and Mrs Holland. Inhalation of bird droppings can cause illness in humans.
It is understood that pigeons also cause damage to house gutters by pecking at them. This means that when it rains heavily, water drips from the path near Ms. Rice’s front door.
Even an aerial view on Google Maps shows a long row of pigeons sitting next to solar panels. Some areas of the drainage ditch were overgrown with grass because pigeons were nesting there.
Both residents called on Places For People to take action and take steps to prevent the problem from occurring. But despite their constant complaints, they say nothing is being done, leaving them with more problems and frustrations.
Miss Rice, a 48-year-old building instructor, said: “During Covid they brought in solar panels and with them hundreds of pigeons. The pigeons were building nests under the solar panels. There are more pigeons here than in Riverside Gardens.”
“There’s a lot of pigeon excrement and feathers – it’s everywhere, it’s funny. Pigeons nest under solar panels.
“My gutters were damaged by pigeons, and when it rained, my windows and front walkway would drip, drip, drip. It was causing noise and mold problems. I had to move because I couldn’t sleep. It got worse. It gets worse. “. .
”I just want them to put mesh around the panels to keep the pigeons out and patch my gutters, but they still haven’t done anything. I’ve sent pictures and emails and everything, but I’m stumped. I’ve gotten empty promises. “
These problems persist throughout the year, but become more severe in the summer. Mrs Holland, who lives near Ms Rice’s home, said she too was fed up with the situation.
She said: “There were about 50 or 60 pigeons a day. The housing company told me I needed to get everything in order and get on the roof. I am 65 years old!”
”I couldn’t open any of the windows in the summer because the poop kept falling out. The stench was terrible. I think they need to put nails in the roof to stop this from happening. I paid a lot of money to rent this property. It still doesn’t work.” good enough.”
Places For People has been contacted for comment. A company representative apologized to residents for the inconvenience caused.
The statement said: “We work with everyone on the street, including residents who are not our customers, to carry out ongoing maintenance and provide long-term solutions. For example, earlier this year we installed netting to try and prevent birds’ nests. and we are currently exploring additional options available to all members.
“We are committed to helping our customers overcome the cost of living crisis by addressing issues such as energy bills; we’re also committed to reducing our community’s carbon footprint, so investing in solar panels is a good thing now and in the future. “We are confident that we can resolve this inconvenience and of course we regret the distress this has caused some customers.”
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Post time: Nov-16-2023