# Pigeon scarer wanted



## martinka (27 Feb 2014)

It's coming up to time for my missus to start work in her allotment and she's asked if I can make something to scare the pigeons away from the cabbages, etc. Anyone ever made anything that works before she suggests I go live in the shed and take a catapult?


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## gilljc (27 Feb 2014)

you could make a big wooden hawk, don't know if it will work, but be a fun project.......


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## martinka (27 Feb 2014)

gilljc":3ghekqdc said:


> you could make a big wooden hawk, don't know if it will work, but be a fun project.......



Gill, it has to scare the pigeons but not look realistic to humans, otherwise someone will have it on their mantlepiece.  Come to that, considering the amount of veg that gets stolen, she could do with a human scarer.


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## gilljc (27 Feb 2014)




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## stevebuk (27 Feb 2014)

cut out a large circle and print out a photo of your face, that should do it... :lol: :lol:


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## Chippygeoff (27 Feb 2014)

What you need martin in one of those whirligigs, very popular in America and quite easy to make. The wind blows a fan and a man on it winds a handle, I am sure it could be modified to make like a clapper and you don't need a lot of wind. There are several free patterns on the Americam scroll saw crafts site and I think Steve Good may also have one or two.


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## JimiJimi (27 Feb 2014)

There is something in what Gill says - a shopping centre in Leeds used to have plastic owls near the ceiling to keep out the pigeons...


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## Fishandchips (27 Feb 2014)

My missus needs no help scaring anything.

You can borrow her for a fee.

I can stretch to £20 quid for the weekend


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## scrimper (27 Feb 2014)

Chippygeoff":2acjn5oh said:


> What you need martin in one of those whirligigs, very popular in America and quite easy to make. The wind blows a fan and a man on it winds a handle, I am sure it could be modified to make like a clapper and you don't need a lot of wind. There are several free patterns on the Americam scroll saw crafts site and I think Steve Good may also have one or two.



They won't scare the birds! I make whirligigs and have 5 different ones scattered about my garden doing various things, people stop and admire them and children love them especially my Wallace and Gromitt one but the birds take no notice of them!


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## toesy (27 Feb 2014)

Cut out the Silhouette of cat. paint it black get some delmonte diamonds for eyes, those ones from craft shops


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## Andrewf (28 Feb 2014)

Not sure if it will work for pigeons, but supposedly works for crows and rooks. Aquire a few dead pigeons and hang them up by their feet from some sticks. Or if the other allotment owners might object to that, some netting over cabbages, hopefully they will then go and eat someone elses cabbages.


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## martinka (28 Feb 2014)

Thanks for all the tips. Someone suggested playing Justin Bieber records but I wouldn't wish that on any living creature.


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## Roughcut (28 Feb 2014)

I have seen one's on farmers fields that are a plastic or wooden hawk shape on the end of a flexible flag pole type arrangement.
The flexible pole allows the "hawk" to move around in the wind making it more lifelike and I presume the moving shadow it casts on to the ground also acts as a deterrent.


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## scrimper (28 Feb 2014)

TBH I don't think anything really works. birds are pretty clever and soon realise whether something is a threat or not.


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## toesy (28 Feb 2014)

Bernard’s pigeon tip?
I watched him sitting in the chair, putting sticks in the ground, and then tieing strong along the top, from which he hung CDs down on more string. I asked what this did, and he told me because the shiny discs were just few inches from the plant, the birds keep well away. Much better than my plastic milk bottles on bamboo canes attempt, and I shall be rooting around my rubbish CDs this weekend.

Use Old CD's/ CD-R computer discs, hanging on a string supported as below


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## scrimper (28 Feb 2014)

My next door neighbour tried this, he scrounged all my old cover CD's.


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## Harbo (28 Feb 2014)

I've tried all those in the past - after a few days the birds get used to them.
The only way was to fence everything off with nets or cages - but leaving no gaps as the birdies will soon suss them out?
Or get used to them having a nibble.
Most of the damage done to my fruit is by Blackbirds - they peck my apples then wasps have ago. Last year I managed to grow 4 figs successfully the rest had been got at!

Rod


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## scrimper (28 Feb 2014)

Think birds are a problem? I decided to plant a small wood at the top of my orchard, 12 Norway spruce and 12 larch, the damn rabbits ate 23 of them leaving me with one larch tree!


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## nadnerb (28 Feb 2014)

Hi Martin
Toesy is right cds are the way to go, my father in law used them for years , put them every meter or so
Regards
Brendan


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## mind_the_goat (28 Feb 2014)

Hawk shaped kite, if it's a windy spot?
Bird of prey soundtrack playing in the shed?


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## blackrodd (28 Feb 2014)

I have to agree with nets and cages, these creatures are not daft where food is concerned.
We are plagued by crows and doves, as well as the usual rogues, and the only answer seems to be to keep the blighters
out in the first place! Regards Rodders


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## megga (2 Mar 2014)

First what are they wood's or feral's? Wood pigeons are very clever (i do a spot of shooting) if wood's get a couple of flock wood pigeons decoys and lay them on there side, but you need to move them every day, bit of an old guy fawlks, old broom handle painted black to make look like a gun, sit him up against a shed and the wont go near it. If feral's, they are as thick as poo, you can shoot them and the rest will fly away and be back down in 5 mins. If you can get permission on the land, an air rifle will give you hours of enjoyment and sort them out. And if wood pigeons, you can eat them.


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## MMUK (2 Mar 2014)

What you want is a Bangalore Cannon :mrgreen: :mrgreen: 

http://www.birdscaring.co.uk/


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## martinka (2 Mar 2014)

MMUK":1n6o09q1 said:


> What you want is a Bangalore Cannon :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.birdscaring.co.uk/


I thought it was going to be something to do with having a vindaloo the night before. :shock:


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## martinka (2 Mar 2014)

megga":17ham70b said:


> First what are they wood's or feral's? Wood pigeons are very clever (i do a spot of shooting) if wood's get a couple of flock wood pigeons decoys and lay them on there side, but you need to move them every day, bit of an old guy fawlks, old broom handle painted black to make look like a gun, sit him up against a shed and the wont go near it. If feral's, they are as thick as poo, you can shoot them and the rest will fly away and be back down in 5 mins. If you can get permission on the land, an air rifle will give you hours of enjoyment and sort them out. And if wood pigeons, you can eat them.



One of the allotment owners used to go there early every morning to shoot the pigeons but he's moved to warmer and wetter climes - Somerset. We (she) has decided I am going to make some frames covered in net that she can easily move so she can get in to do the weeding. Thanks for all the tips.


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## Grahamshed (2 Mar 2014)

Not quite what I was expecting. With a title like 'pidgin scarer wanted' and a first line of 'its time for the wife to go to the allotment' I thought you had come up with your own solution.


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## martinka (2 Mar 2014)

I thought using the word wanted might have been a pointer. :wink:


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