Pigeons are primarily grain and seed eaters, have multiple broods during the year, and are long lived. Their prolific reproductive rate and gregarious nature soon leads to excessive numbers which further compounds the damage and nuisance level. Pigeons carry diseases communicable to man, wildlife and domestic animals and their nesting and roosting areas are dirty. Their droppings will damage the paint on vehicles and kill ornamental plants and grass. Diseases transmitted by pigeons include aspergillosis, avian tuberculosis, coccidiosis, cryptococcoses, encephalitis, histoplasmosis, Newcastle disease, salmonellosis, thrush, toxoplasmosis, and West Nile virus.