WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Council members decide on solution to pigeon problem in Covington

Council members decide on solution to pigeon problem in Covington

Trains aren't the only things flying by the Covington Passenger Depot. However, instead of just passing through, plenty of pigeons are leaving a mark.

"They seem to roost right over the entrance way, which is really bad," says Alleghany Historical Society President Bonnie Keyser.

Keyser is worried about possible health hazards, and so are city council members. They voted last week to hire an outside contractor to take care of the problem.

"We decided to nip this in the bud before it becomes a tremendous problem," says Councilman Earl "Buddy" Brown.

"They're going to take them out of the city, and then what they do with them after that, I'd say that they would humanely put them to sleep," says Vice Mayor of Covington Rob Bennett.

Exactly how the problem will be solved wasn't decided, but city officials expect they'll be killed.

Bennett was the only member to vote against the plan.

"I just hope that we would look at every channel before we decide to take their lives," says Bennett.

"They will still be bedding down, and they're not potty trained," says Brown. "They'll be a problem wherever they go."

Before the historical society began renovating the building in 2001, it was vacant for about 25 years. The pigeons lived there during that time and they never left

"We're concerned about the structural damage to the building itself, and of course it's ruining the paint job to the front of the depot," says Keyser.

The city did put up noise machines for a few months to scare the pigeons, but that didn't make the problem fly away.