LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A mandate for “humane” pigeon trappings could be coming to Clark County, after Animal Control leaders voiced concerns over cages left in the heat for days.
The Southern Nevada Health District considers pigeons a health hazard. According to experts, the birds and their droppings carry diseases.
According to Clark County, there have been 18 Animal Control calls concerning pigeon traps since 2023.
With Animal Protection Services in Clark County, Jim Andersen said some have been left in the hot sun to bake.
“We get calls sometimes where traps sit on the roof of an apartment complex and it sits there for days. We don’t want the pigeons to be suffering while they’re trapped in a cage,” Andersen explained.
In April, FOX5 reported concerns surrounding one apartment complex that left pigeons on top of a parking awning for at least five days.
“The premise of any code change would be to ensure pigeon trapping is done in a humane manner to not cause any suffering or death,” a spokesperson for Clark County said in an email to FOX5.
The Nevada Department of Agriculture licenses pest control agents and companies.
The agency offers federal guidance on pigeon trappings and humane standards, as written by leaders from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or APHIS.
“The disposal of trapped birds should be quick and humane,” a guide on the Nevada Department of Agriculture website reads, urging cool locations for traps in the summer.
According to an NDA spokesperson, counties and cities must mandate their requirements for pigeon trapping.
There are no explicit mandates for pigeon traps in the Nevada code.
According to Let’s Go Pest Control owner Robert Patterson, homeowners and property owners who install traps themselves may inadvertently create inhumane conditions.
“Owners that will put a cage on their roof, they want to do it themselves. Sometimes they’ll forget them. They do die,” Patterson said. “It makes us look bad, like we’re the ones doing it,” Patterson expressed.
“As professionals we have a schedule where we maintain them,” Patterson added, showing FOX5 traps with built-in shade, food and water.
Patterson said that traps can be left for days at a time with proper food, water, and shade in the summer heat.
He explained if traps are removed too quickly, not all the pests are removed.
“Code amendments are currently being written; proposed language would include all animals being trapped, not just pigeons,” a spokesperson emailed FOX5.
County officials said that businesses will be allowed to submit a Business Impact Statement when the ordinance is drafted.
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