There is a pigeon problem in Kirkland Lake.

After numerous complaints, council passed a by-law to prohibit feeding the pigeons, but not everyone is obeying it.

Pat Kiely is the mayor of Kirkland Lake.

"There are some areas in town where there's 500 or 600 of them." said Kiely.

The mayor says there are about a dozen people around town who've taken a liking to feeding them despite a new bylaw. 

And McCamus Avenue seems to be a hotspot.

Paul Siford’s brother feeds the pigeons.  He says his brother has been asked to stop feeding them, but doesn’t want to stop.

“Well, how could you? They depended on him all winter." said Siford.

However, many are not happy with the abundance of the birds.

CTV News spoke to some local residents:

"If you're in the house at night, and you hear this’ ttttttt’ because they are on my tin roof. Can you just imagine what it sounds like?  At first, I thought someone was shooting a BB gun off, but it was the pigeons coming over."

"All their poop and people's properties and roofs are getting destroyed, that's a concern of not just me, but a lot of residents."

The mayor says fines have been issued at $100 a ticket, but the town's been without a bylaw enforcement officer for the past year.

"It's a very frustrating situation, but hopefully I think with the more exposure, with the new bylaw enforcement officers, and they're out there more than they have been in the previous situation, that that's going to change. So, people will know we mean business." said Kiely.

The town is also loaning out traps and people are reminded of the rules that go along with trapping pigeons.

"You're required to have a small game licence in order to do so. You're not allowed to discharge a fire arm within town limits. Disposal of the pigeons needs to be done in a humane manner; cruelty to animal laws still apply and you're not allowed to dispose of them at the curb-side garbage either.” said Ontario Provincial Police Constable Adam Gauthier.

The mayor says he can only hope people will stop feeding the pigeons. He says if not, the town may have to look into buying bird seed that contains birth control.