An owner of a single-family residence in Marieville, Montérégie, sought our help after noticing that pigeons and starlings had taken possession of the spaces under the soffits of his home. The situation had evolved gradually over more than a year: what was initially only two or three birds perched occasionally had turned into an organized infestation with several active nests. The droppings stained the terrace and the façade, and the scratching noises disturbed the sleep of the occupants. Our team developed an exclusion plan adapted to this residential context of Marieville, a city crossed by the North Yamaska River where residential neighbourhoods and farmland coexist.
Inspection and identification of infestation hotspots
The inspection covered the entire exterior envelope of the house, from the basement to the ridge of the roof. The technician used an endoscopic inspection camera to examine the cavities under the soffits without having to disassemble the panels. The results confirmed the presence of three pigeon nests under the soffits on the west side and two starling nests in the roof ventilation openings on the north side.
The tour of the house also revealed scratch marks on aluminum window sills and deposits of droppings in front of the garage door, revealing that the birds regularly used these surfaces as resting points between their movements. This comprehensive assessment has made it possible to prioritize interventions as part of our pest control program.
Removal of nests and closure of accesses
First, our technicians manually removed all active nests after checking for the absence of non-flying young (to comply with the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the applicable rules). The pigeon nests, consisting of plant material, feathers and debris, were collected and disposed of appropriately.
Subsequently, all openings identified under the soffits were sealed with galvanized 13 mm mesh mesh, fixed to aluminum frames and stapled under the edges of the soffit panels. For the roof ventilation inlets, weather-resistant plastic caps with built-in grilles replaced the old, faulty fans that allowed birds to infiltrate.
On the cornice and the upper edge of the façade wall, anti-perching spikes have been installed along the entire length of the horizontal surfaces accessible to pigeons. The work has been carefully done to preserve the general appearance of the house, an important element for the owner.
Soiled surface treatment and prevention
The surfaces of the terrace and façade soiled by the droppings were cleaned with a water jet at moderate pressure and then treated with a bactericidal disinfectant. A preventive treatment under the new soffits was also carried out to eliminate organic residues that could attract other birds through pheromones and residual odours.
We also recommended that the homeowner reduce the sources of attraction for birds near the house: cover compost bins, avoid leaving pet food outside, and prune trees with branches directly overhanging the roof. These simple prevention tips significantly reduce the risk of reinfestation in the long term.
For other examples of mandates carried out on residential properties on the South Shore, we invite you to consult our bird control in residential suburbs and our intervention against starlings in a residence in the region.
Post-intervention follow-up and guarantee
A follow-up visit was carried out four weeks after the installation of the devices. Inspection confirmed that no birds were attempting to enter under the soffits and that the spikes on the ledge were intact and effective. The owner reported the complete disappearance of the nocturnal scratching noises and the newfound cleanliness of his terrace.
Our warranty covers exclusion work for a specified period of time. If birds find a new, unidentified access point during the initial inspection, we return to seal it as part of that commitment. This commitment reflects the confidence that our extermination services in Quebec place in the quality of their interventions, in Marieville as well as throughout the Montérégie.