[BC] Natural Towers

[Cowboy]

On Wednesday 14 December 2011 10:19:52 am Mark Humphrey wrote:
>  Perhaps a plastic owl would scare them away  -- but wouldn't they
> figure out that it's fake after a few days?  How well do these decoys
> really work?

 Birds are not so stupid as one might think.
 A plastic owl works for about two days.
 As soon as the birds figure out that it doesn't move, ever, they
 will approach it and determine that it's not an owl.

 I've got a problem with a woodpecker of late.
 So far, nothing has worked, except filling the hole with window
 glazing sends him a foot away, where he pecks again.
 Unfortunately, there's something like a federal $4K fine for
 "harming" a woodpecker, so anything really effective is rendered illegal.
 True, Fish and Game recommends streaming tin foil that blows in
 the wind, but reports on that are about the same as for a plastic owl.
 They also report chicken wiring the whole house 6 inches out from the
 wooden siding "should" work to "deter" them.

 There's a company that sells a battery operated, motion triggered
 plastic tarantula that's supposed to work, but it's expensive.
 ( of course, anything dealing with "federal protected" is expensive
 just because )

 It's said that the propane cannons used in grain fields is somewhat
 effective, but I have no personal experience.

 Personally, I'm liking more and more the old farmer's
 protected species "deterrent."
 Shoot, shovel, shut up.


-- 
Cowboy