A St. John’s woman says a man who is feeding pigeons is holding his neighbours “hostage” by attracting the birds to the area.

Melissa Jordan, who lives in the centre city area, says what started out as a handful of pigeons has turned into dozens of birds, and is now attracting gulls and even rats.

Jordan says the situation has become so bad that one neighbour has had to put spike strips on their home to prevent the birds from roosting on their house.

An exasperated Jordan told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly that the sheer number of birds is causing a mess and creating health concerns.

She was told by Terminix that pigeon feces can be toxic.

Health Canada says pigeon droppings may pose a health hazard to the general public and is associated with a variety of diseases, including histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis.

As a result Jordan says it makes it nearly impossible to enjoy time in their yard or spend time outdoors “because overhead you’re constantly worried about being crapped on by the influx of birds that are being fed 15 to 20 times a day.”

The neighbour in question defended feeding the birds on VOCM Open Line and indicated he doesn’t believe he’s doing anything wrong.