Good morning,
I would like to offer a couple of practical anti pigeon suggestions. In
the
past, I have had similar "roosting" problems, I am told, by bird behaviour
experts, that pigeons are creatures of habit, and the offspring copy their
parents......since the parents can breed five clutches of eggs per year, and
each clutch averages five eggs, it does not take long for you to have your
very own flock of pidgeons.......the pigeon "guano" is extremely corrosive,
and if you have had it covering your car paintwork overnight, then a new paint
job may be necessary. Also, if it seeps into the telescopic joints of your
nice new shiny yagi, then very quickly, corrosion sets in, and you may begin
to have intermittent problems, especially if only one hose clamp has been
used. It is well worth taking some preventative measures. This is what I have
done about it....
Over here, in the UK, gardeners keep these pigeon pests off their
crops by
stringing a commercial product "Humline" tautly about 2 feet above the crops,
the breeze then makes the taut line "hum" at a low frequency, which the pigeons
hate.....however, from personal experience, when the same product is used on a
yagi, strung between the elements, and put up at 60 feet in the air, the "hum"
caused by the breeze, and dependent on the humline tension, turns into a
banshee howl, which does keep the pigeons away, but also, keeps the neigbours
awake at night......this "Humline" looks and feels just like quarter inch
audio tape......might be worth a try, but do warn your neighbours, especially
around haloween...
Now, if the pidgeons get used to the low frequency hum, and park on your
antenna, then to protect the metal surfaces, I have found the best solution,
is to coat the entire antenna, but NOT the insulators, with a product called
"Waxoyl" the white version only (there is a black sticky version) this white
anti corrosion product is used to coat the inner structures and doors of motor
vehicles. It looks, smells, and feels like liquid beeswax, this does dry out
in time, and can be applied liberally by brush. If, the coating does get
damaged, by birds feet scratching the surface, for example, then it "flows"
and covers the damaged scratch. It is also impervious to the pidgeon "guano"
and I have used this coating on all my exterior metal work, since 1982,
telescopic joints, assembled back in 82, taken apart recently, for inspection,
were as clean and shiny, as the day I put them together. Each year, when I
bring the tower down, at the annual antenna inspection, I add another coat of
"Waxoyl" to the metal work......."Waxoyl" is easily cleaned off the hands and
surfaces, by using a rag, moistened with white spririt......
Information about "Waxoyl" is that it is manufactured by Hammerite
Products Ltd
in the UK, and they told me, several years ago, that in the USA, the product
name was "Rustguard" and available from marine supply outlets......I have no
vested interests in the Hammerite company, but I always have a 5 litre can in
my garage, to coat the latest metal structure, before the pidgeons have a
chance to corrode it.....I hope this tome has been of some use.....sincerely,
John. G3JVC.
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