The only way I know is to net the trees or shoot the pigeons and casserole them.

A gun is best -my cherry tree is to tall to cover with netting!

Agree Jcee a neighbour was bemoaning the fact that pigeons are decimating her brassicas and suggested she get her SO to sit out there with a gun.

Now your blood lust is up I'm a bit shy in suggesting the 'humming wires'. Even if you could partially cover a tree it might save some. Netting on brassicas is the only way. If you start shooting them don't leave your washing out unattended.

Not blood lust... though I enjoy pigeon breast as a meal :-) Netting fruit trees is almost impossible, at least in my experience. Netting brassicas is generally pretty easy. Bulba dangles lots of old CDs to deter pigeons from our brassicas but it only has limited success.

As a side note: A friend of mine,against his better judgement,gave into his wifes plea to have a dove cote in the garden with two doves. Months later he begged me if I had any idea, of how to get rid of ALL the doves! Yes that's right ,they had been biilling and cooing for weeks and his poor Tudor style house was covered with green
netting to protect his house! The damage done was horrific and the cost was enormous. So like here, I suggested a gun,no-his wife forbid it, so my only other idea was to call in a Falconer!! Try that,it really works but there wont be any pigeon pie!!

We had the same problem in Kettering last year. There is a tree above my parents' grave. I had to go every other week and scrub the memorial, it was filthy with droppings. I complained to the Council. Asked for the tree to be de-branched. No reply. There are some people who object to killing wild creatures. So the Pest Control Officers just went out quietly putting some kind of poisoned food out where they were roosting. I had one pigeon collapse and die in my garden, and knew the right action had been taken. Our Town Centre is much cleaner now.
Naturally Yours.com. sell all the hoops and netting. Glad I invested in them. Hoops can be made by OHs with cheap pastic piping, joining them at the top with wooden struts. I think the Naturally Yours hoops are easier to insert into the ground.

Thanks - hubby did say a gun was the best will now scout around for a 'crack marksman'

Careful Susan, you might get into trouble with the Law.
A former tenant of the downstairs flat had a friend round with an Airgun firing at a target on the fence. I feebly suggested they join the local Archery Club, which meets weekly in the Sports Hall of a nearby school .

The neighbours phoned the Council. Council phoned the Police. They marched into his flat about half -an-hour later. Gave him a lecture, and he blamed me !

End of joke.

You need a Fire Arms Licence for a gun I believe.

The Council Pest Control Officers are trained to deal with these problems. Best way.

If you live in a rural environment a fire arms certificate is easy to get... Bulba used to have one.

Pigeons are pests and can be legally shot, but from bitter experience don't eat the breast with a lead pellet still embedded! Do check with council if shooting is ok in your neighbourhood and if you go ahead with a cull warn your neighbours as loud bangs may upset them at inconvenient moments.
Did you know that ring necked doves, so common now, have only been in the UK for 40 years, having spread from India. The pigeon family are invasive, prolific breeders don't feel sorry for them, some farmers around here call them 'rats with wings'.