birds

[macklin]

Hi.

I have just put down red wood chips all over the garden and down the sides of a pathway on the side of the house. Unfortunately the birds are digging it all up and scattering the chips all over the front path and also down the side path, with the result to keep it tidy I have to clean and brush everywhere every day. They are also digging holes in the front garden I am continually filling them back up again. Any ideas ( short of shotguns, cannons etc )

Thanks


Jean Bloom

[Zed]

are we talking emus or finches here ? what size holes ? you could always put down some glad wrap down....

sorry....

I find a squirt gun scares them away nicely. we had indian minors roosting in our oak tree so at roosting time at night I threw up a bottle half filled with water in the tree - they off- to a neighbours tree (saving my ears) - do this about 3 or 4 times and they realise that that particular tree is not a nice place to sleep.

I imagine that if you do that while they dig your chips they will get a similar message...

cheers

[DaveInOz]

re the birds digging your mulch on to the path. We used the rolls of brown plastic gutter guard as a micro fence along the path. Just roll it out, stand it up and stick pegs or chop sticks or whatever through the mesh to hold it upright. The brown colour disappears against the mulch in our case

[jackiew]

get a cat .... my neighbours ( both sides ) have ones that you can borrow ( no need to return them ). One has a bell on its neck and walks round the outside of my house all night long .... i'm sure it will see off your birds :)

[macklin]

Thank you all for your replies

The rolls of gutter guard sounds the best idea

I dont know what a squirt gun is, in any case I think the neighbors would have me locked up if they saw me running around the garden firing a water pistol :D

As for the cat I will let your neighbors keep them thanks, there are enough animals around here ( and that is only the 2 legged kind ) :eek:

Thanks again

Jean Bloom

[journeyman Mick]

And what exactly do you have against cannons?:D

Mick

[Sir Stinkalot]

I have heard that you can try a rubber snake from a toy shop .... just lay it on the ground and it will scare off the birds. Other option may be a mirror mobile hanging from a tree .... the reflective light should scare off the birds. I would try the snake first.

[macklin]

Hi.
As for the canons, only if they are not covered in Howards buy back scheme

I thought you were putting me on about the the rubber snakes, then I thought about it and I will give it a try. Might keep unwelcome sales people away too. :cool:

Thanks for replies

Jean Bloom

[Eastie]

Jean,
It is great to hear your neighborhood has not suffered the fate of having cats, and thus you still have some birds. How I would love to suffer such a fate as having a few bark chips being happily turned over by a few happy care-free little birds looking for a feed in my garden. If you could simply catch the birds, put them in a bit of poly tube with a bit of feed and send them to me I’d be happy to have them. In return I will box up a couple of felines from my neighborhood to ensure you don’t have to put up with new birds moving in on your territory. Be aware though that cats too dig up the garden spreading sh!te everywhere, but hey what’s a little bit of cat sh!te to get rid of all those pesky birds. Just be sure to take care when letting them out of the box.

Yours truly,
Eastie

[macklin]

Eastie

Unfortunately I suffer with the other four legged type DOGS !!! :mad: on both sides of me which continually bark most of the day I will gladly stuff them in a box and send them to you. or whoever comes first you or the ranger ;)

Jean Bloom

[echnidna]

I hung some strips of shopping bags over my tomatoes and strawberries. The strips wave in the breeze.

Not one bird bite from anything over the whole season

[jackiew]

unfortunately the local cats can't climb or are too lazy to climb ... not only did the birds get my plum crop, they got the bumper grape crop and the fig crop - and cos they eat them when they are too green for human tastes I got a good crop of bird poo:(

[gatiep]

Jean

How about throwing bread crumbs over the fence to the neighbours side regularly.....soon he'll have the birds and his dogs.

Cya
Joe

[Rocker]

I find the rubber snakes work brilliantly on my car. I put one on the bonnet and one on the roof. Previously, the magpie larks used to poo all over it when I parked in in the carport; with the snakes guarding it, it stays clean as a whistle.

Rocker

[Robert WA]

CDs suspended from a line over the trees so that the breeze makes them move and turn will work for a while.

Garden shops sell plastic raptors that can be suspended in and around trees and they work for a while also.

Nothing works for very long so we put netting over our fruit trees.

[macklin]

Hi.

I thought of putting a picture of S Bracks or J Howard (or both)
but it may further encourage them. :rolleyes:

The one with the bread crumbs sounds good ( I think) :)

Instead ( or as well ) I might get the barking dog on one side of me and take it to the 2 barking dogs on the other side and throw it over the fence to them, A few yelps and barkes for a short time I can tolerate:cool:

Strangely the last 2 days have been free of the birds and I have not put the snakes there yet :confused:

Jean Bloom

[Sir Stinkalot]

Dont forget to move the snakes every few days otherwise the birds will start to think that they are dead .... it also doesn't hurt to make a snake sound when you are doing it. I am sure that the birds will be up in a tree listening for the snake. If they are really big birds pretend that the snake is eating you .... now that should keep them away.

[macklin]

Thanks Sir Stinkalot.

Your name sounds a bit like your reply just kidding honest:D

Not bad, before doing the above I will enroll in the local nursing home I will then have a good exscuse when my neighbors come to collect me.:p


Jean Bloom

[gatiep]

Quote:


Strangely the last 2 days have been free of the birds and I have not put the snakes there yet



Jean I suppose the birds are outside your window reading this Bulletin Board over your shoulder.

Regards
Joe

[jackiew]

one tip if your neighbours' dogs only bark incessently when they are away from home is to invite your neighbours round to tea.

Do not have the radio on or play any music. Your neighbours will then be able to find out just what Fido does when they are out. They will then realise that you aren't just being a grumpy guts when you complain to them.