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Bird pests


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So this is technically not landscape related (though I wish it was!), but there are so many clever creative people here (and a few farmers) that this might just be the best place to ask this.

The drought has a side effect: The birds are all hanging around the houses, where there is water and food (sometimes). And these damn blue doves are becoming a real problem. They make such a terrible mess, the droppings damage the paint, and whenever I put up bird spikes they literally just move to another section of the property. Unfortunately I cannot shoot within urban areas either (or they'd be dead by now), and poison... well that could get someone's pet killed, so that's out too.

Yes, I'm harbouring murderous thoughts.

I'm told these rotating mirror things don't work. I've already tried ultrasonic, without much luck (besides... my poor dog!). So, my question: What other tortures (or just general eviction methods) can I visit upon these critters!?

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The only thing I can think of is a bird cannon but you will have Somerset West's finest approaching your property weapons drawn.

You could feed them  over at the neighbour's - transferring your problem. 

You could try and trap them. We use to catch doves when we were kids and roast them in the donkey using the dog's water bowl as a roasting dish.

 

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At the moment, my thoughts are to spray them with water. Automated. Not municipal water of course, I want to use one of these pressurised sprayers you use for pesticides, you'll just have to repressurise it occasionally. Some fish-tank piping or similar, and a water jet or two in the problem areas. Then my idea is to spike the water with grape seed oil (apparently birds don't like it). A burst of that every 5 minutes should be enough to discourage them. I hope anyway... already ordered some water valves for the job.

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25 minutes ago, plonkster said:

At the moment, my thoughts are to spray them with water. Automated. Not municipal water of course, I want to use one of these pressurised sprayers you use for pesticides, you'll just have to repressurise it occasionally. Some fish-tank piping or similar, and a water jet or two in the problem areas. Then my idea is to spike the water with grape seed oil (apparently birds don't like it). A burst of that every 5 minutes should be enough to discourage them. I hope anyway... already ordered some water valves for the job.

Let's see how it goes. I'm sitting with the same problem. And they roost under my solar panels, leaving a mess all over the show. 

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9 minutes ago, PaulF007 said:

Why don't you build a good old "voel wip". As laaities we had various designs here is two crude drawings of them. 

Note170815_0.thumb.jpg.4ae12fdd016f745d54f0d9672359e3ac.jpg

 

Made for some good biltong :D or rather we thought so .. 

 

PS , did a quick drawing so the spelling is shocking , sorry Plonster 

  

I used to play with those as a kid as well. The problem is, even after "evicting" some birds, new ones always tend to come. And most people are probably at home most of the time. So I feel plonkster's pain. a more permanent, and possibly humane, solution is needed. 

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46 minutes ago, SilverNodashi said:

And they roost under my solar panels, leaving a mess all over the show. 

I have the same problem with my panels. When the tracker is in the upright position, the top of the panels are probably 10m high, so they like to sit there and use it as a lookout point and crap all over my panels. 

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4 minutes ago, Don said:

I have the same problem with my panels. When the tracker is in the upright position, the top of the panels are probably 10m high, so they like to sit there and use it as a lookout point and crap all over my panels. 

I have added 2 small extensions to either side of my panel mount.  I then strung a piece of gut/white nylon string between the 2 50mm uprights.  The birds come to sit but then cant because the gut is in the way.  So far was worked well.

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5 minutes ago, Mark said:

I have added 2 small extensions to either side of my panel mount.  I then strung a piece of gut/white nylon string between the 2 50mm uprights.  The birds come to sit but then cant because the gut is in the way.  So far was worked well.

Thanks @Mark. Yes, I think that can work, as long as they don't sit on the string. :) I will give it a try.

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23 minutes ago, Don said:

Thanks @Mark. Yes, I think that can work, as long as they don't sit on the string. :) I will give it a try.

Its about 2mm thick (max) but its not taught (sp?) enough to hold the weight of the bird... "wobbly".  Not even the wagtails sit on it now... 

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1 hour ago, Mark said:

I have added 2 small extensions to either side of my panel mount.  I then strung a piece of gut/white nylon string between the 2 50mm uprights.  The birds come to sit but then cant because the gut is in the way.  So far was worked well.

In my case it didn't work. They just sit next to it. My roof nock is wide enough for them not to worry, and even if I put something else in the way, they pirch lower down

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31 minutes ago, SilverNodashi said:

In my case it didn't work. They just sit next to it. My roof nock is wide enough for them not to worry, and even if I put something else in the way, they pirch lower down

I have one of these alluminium louvre-awnings roofs. They sit on it during the day, and if you open it the droppings come raining down on you. If you leave it open, they just sit on the edge anyway and crap directly onto the porch. Then at night they move around the corner and crap on the back porch...

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/15/2017 at 4:50 PM, Mark said:

Its about 2mm thick (max) but its not taught (sp?) enough to hold the weight of the bird... "wobbly".  Not even the wagtails sit on it now... 

Hows the bird problem? - have you tried the string.  Mine has been up for 2 mnths... no "poo" at all

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Project got stalled. The wife strategically placed a broom next to the window where she can get at it and bang on the bottom-side of the roof. That works for now. We also have a very realistic looking owl ornament (complete with turning head) now that seems to keep all but one away.

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I did some work on the penthouse of a building in Sandton where the flat roof had VERY realistic rubber cobra's scattered around. I could have used a little heads-up because I nearly shat myself when I first saw them!

The owner swore that he had no bird problems when all the other buildings spent a fortune on those rotating mirror thingies which seem to attract birds after a short adjustment period.

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1 hour ago, pilotfish said:

I did some work on the penthouse of a building in Sandton where the flat roof had VERY realistic rubber cobra's scattered around. I could have used a little heads-up because I nearly shat myself when I first saw them!

The owner swore that he had no bird problems when all the other buildings spent a fortune on those rotating mirror thingies which seem to attract birds after a short adjustment period.

Hahahahah

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/28/2017 at 8:13 AM, pilotfish said:

I did some work on the penthouse of a building in Sandton where the flat roof had VERY realistic rubber cobra's scattered around. I could have used a little heads-up because I nearly shat myself when I first saw them!

The owner swore that he had no bird problems when all the other buildings spent a fortune on those rotating mirror thingies which seem to attract birds after a short adjustment period.

So I guess this is the answer then? I wonder how long they last in the sun. 

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  • 2 years later...

i used one of them rubber snakes and it worked for about 6 months before the uv rays zapped it... but in the long run they are much more cost effective then all the other gizmos.

is there not a kind of uv protective varnish one could dip them in? 🤔

Edited by Gabriël
spelling, what else?
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