Pigeon scarer wanted

[martinka]

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?

 

[gilljc]

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

 

[martinka]

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.

 

[gilljc]

 

[stevebuk]

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

 

[Chippygeoff]

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.

 

[JimiJimi]

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...

 

[Fishandchips]

My missus needs no help scaring anything.

You can borrow her for a fee.

I can stretch to £20 quid for the weekend

 

[scrimper]

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!

 

[toesy]

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

 

[Andrewf]

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.

 

[martinka]

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

 

[Roughcut]

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.

 

[scrimper]

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

 

[toesy]

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 crap CDs this weekend.

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

 

[scrimper]

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

 

[Harbo]

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

 

[scrimper]

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!

 

[nadnerb]

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

 

[mind_the_goat]

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