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Introduction

There is no doubt that farmers have a constant battle on their hands when it comes to the subject of pest control.  Studies by the NFU suggest that the pigeon population has been increasing in recent years and that birds now seem to arrive earlier and stay longer.  One suggestion is that milder winters are leading to higher survival rates through the season and this combines with a longer breeding season for key pests such as pigeons.  Some farmers cite changing diet as a contributory factor and several report that, for example, pigeons seem to have developed a taste for sugar beet leaves for the first time.  Also, the new environmental stewardship schemes ask farmers to manage their hedgerows in a different way and this more bushy vegetation provides more nesting sites and shelter. Less frequent hedge cutting leads to more hedgerow feed (such as berries) to sustain pest species as well.

 


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