Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Around The House). This thread is read-only.
A group of 10-20 starlings has made their nests in our yard and they’re pooping all over the place. I’ve spent a few hundred dollars on bird control devices….Bird Xpeller (makes annoyingly loud distress calls that are supposed to scare off the birds….just pisses off the neighbors), a few Havahart traps and even a plastic alligator for use in our fishpond. The birds pooped on the alligator.
Now I feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack on a mission to get rid of these pests. Town ordinance says you “can’t shoot stuff” ….we live across the street from a church and school.
Anyone try trapping these birds? All I caught today with bread crumbs was a squirrel. Steve D
ultgar wrote:
3 minutes ago, ultgar said:A group of 10-20 starlings has made their nests in our yard and they’re pooping all over the place. I’ve spent a few hundred dollars on bird control devices….Bird Xpeller (makes annoyingly loud distress calls that are supposed to scare off the birds….just pisses off the neighbors), a few Havahart traps and even a plastic alligator for use in our fishpond. The birds pooped on the alligator.
Now I feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack on a mission to get rid of these pests. Town ordinance says you “can’t shoot stuff” ….we live across the street from a church and school.
Anyone try trapping these birds? All I caught today with bread crumbs was a squirrel. Steve D
A 12 gauge would work pretty well……..I kid, not sure on any other options though. A few years back, we had 2 big sycamore trees in front of our house and once year, for a day or two we would have a few hundred robins in front of our house. $hit was everywhere…….it was one big mess!
ultgar wrote:
4 minutes ago, ultgar said:A group of 10-20 starlings has made their nests in our yard and they’re pooping all over the place. I’ve spent a few hundred dollars on bird control devices….Bird Xpeller (makes annoyingly loud distress calls that are supposed to scare off the birds….just pisses off the neighbors), a few Havahart traps and even a plastic alligator for use in our fishpond. The birds pooped on the alligator.
Now I feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack on a mission to get rid of these pests. Town ordinance says you “can’t shoot stuff” ….we live across the street from a church and school.
Anyone try trapping these birds? All I caught today with bread crumbs was a squirrel. Steve D
LOL i have to laugh, that was funny about the squirrel.
Welcome aboard too!!!!
How big are the trees/bushes they are nesting in? If they are smaller, get some netting to prevent them from getting into the trees or whatever you have, that’s the most effective way they do at the raspberry farm close by. Just drape the netting over the whole thing and tie it down by the base.
Get a BB gun. A good shot to the head can drop a bird, may not kill it but stun it long enough to go finish the job by hand.
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There’s a nest in one of the spruce trees about 18′ up and there’s a 25′ birch tree next to it where they all hang out. Shooting them with a pellet gun would be fine if I weren’t in such as crowed area here in NJ….you need a 450′ safety done to use a pellet gun. I’d give the local police dept $20/kill for the ones nesting in my yard. I’ll try more traps tomorrow.
I’m with Dave, 12g lol
Jimbo
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one trick is to hang blank cd’s on branches by a string,if they are nesting you might not be able to do much to get them to actually leave thou. you’d think in areas where birds have high populations they’d have a bird control dept or something.
They still have dog catchers nowadays,why not birdcatchers?
Call Kato. He’s like our bird specialist 😉
Fazzman wrote:
14 minutes ago, Fazzman said:one trick is to hang blank cd’s on branches by a string,if they are nesting you might not be able to do much to get them to actually leave thou. you’d think in areas where birds have high populations they’d have a bird control dept or something.
They still have dog catchers nowadays,why not birdcatchers?
This. When we were having problems with geese eating up the fields (talking several grand in damage) my boss had sent his kids out in the field with stakes that were covered in flashy like party decorations/tinsel type stuff. It works but your house may look like you are having a perpetual quinceñera. Other farmers had luck with ATV flags. All the orchards use a combination of flashy stuff, drones playing distress signals, propane cannons, netting, and guys on ATVs with 12 gauges.