# I got baby pigeons on my terrace--and houseflies inside! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 23, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-baby-pigeons-on-my-terrace-and-houseflies-inside/256499 "2004-07-23T12:24:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-baby-pigeons-on-my-terrace-and-houseflies-inside/256499/1 "2004-07-23T12:24:31Z")
I was sick of finding these disgusting (adult) pigeons always sitting on a top shelf that I store empty flowerpots on, so I pulled down the box the pots are in today and discovered–baby pigeons. Two little, yellow-feathered, totally blind (at least I hope they are–their eyes look like balls of mucus) but fairly sizable baby birds. I put the box back, and now I guess I’m going to have these disgusting birds around here for a while. I’ve also had a strange infestation of houseflies the last few days. (Inside my apartment.) There couldn’t be any connection with the pigeon birthing factory and the houseflies, could there? I swatted about two dozen yesterday, after living here for eight years in which I had a total of four or five flies inside the house. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-baby-pigeons-on-my-terrace-and-houseflies-inside/256499/2 "2004-07-23T14:43:37Z")
Who cares about houseflies. Don’t pigeons carry _lice?_ ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-baby-pigeons-on-my-terrace-and-houseflies-inside/256499/3 "2004-07-23T14:51:50Z")
Are they definitely houseflies or do they look a little different? If they are smaller and slightly flatter than houseflies and fly a little differently they could be pigeon flies [(Hippoboscid flies)](http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/livestock/pigeon_fly.htm) and if so they would definitely be associated with the pigeons. I hate these things, whenever someone brings us a sick or injured pigeon or dove and I pick it up, the darn flies run off and fly right at me. Ick! It might be a little unusual to have a bunch of them indoors though. If they are regular houseflies it could be possible that there might be a dead baby bird nearby that’s attracting the flies and then they are getting in your house. If a baby dies in the nest the parents would push it out, they can’t really carry it anywhere. Or it could just be all the pigeon poop attracting the flies. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-baby-pigeons-on-my-terrace-and-houseflies-inside/256499/4 "2004-07-23T21:10:14Z")
Why do people bring you dead pigeons or doves? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-baby-pigeons-on-my-terrace-and-houseflies-inside/256499/5 "2004-07-23T23:26:05Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > Why do people bring you dead pigeons or doves? I work at an animal clinic, and they pigeons and doves aren’t usually dead. The flies live on live birds.