[TowerTalk] Bye Bye Birdies

[Patrick Greenlee]

Plastic owls and rubber snakes work for some folks but are not universally 
successful.

Ultrasonic emissions have a much higher success record. Ultrasonic waves are 
easy to "beam" directionally which permits a ground or near ground level 
installation with the transducer(s) aimed up to where the birds like to 
perch.  Aiming the sound upward keeps from disturbing the dogs and cats.

These devices are available COTS for relatively little money or easily built 
by the electronic savvy. Mine have lasted for many years and still work 
well.  Some of these devices offer choices on the type of output.  A 
randomly occurring warble tone similar to the "yelping style" public safety 
sirens (but of course in the ultrasonic spectrum) seems to work best. Having 
it come on at random intervals works best and keeps the birds from getting 
used to it.

Inexpensive "tweeters" of the horn variety work well, especially if the 
design lends itself to accepting a drain hole for water (well... it is aimed 
up) Alternatively an enclosure with a hard flat reflective surface to aim 
the beam upward will work.

I have used these for many years with great success, not only for birds but 
other pests as well when coupled with IR motion detector including cats and 
dogs who used to think my yard a public restroom and the odd skunk, raccoon, 
armadillo, or opossum.

Patrick AF5CK



iginal Message----- 
From: Jim Lux
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 5:16 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Bye Bye Birdies

On 12/28/12 9:11 PM, Bob K6UJ wrote:
> Another option for bird control is to get one of the plastic owls and put 
> him up on the tribander.
> My results were negative, evidently the birds in our area aren't scared of 
> owls because the owl didn't help at all.
> When i took it down I discovered the birds had crapped all over it.   :-)
>


my in-laws experience with their vineyard was that birds are discouraged
by novelty and change.  reflective ribbons one week, owls the next, etc.
  That doesn't lend itself to antennas

the other strategy which seems to work quite well is to make what ever
it is "not sittable on".  those funky plastic spiky things or
string/monofilament.

Of course, neither of the latter are particularly easy to do on
something like a multielement beam, especially if you want it to last
for decades.

For ordinary wire antennas.. I suppose, if you use strong enough copper
clad steel, the birds can just sit on the wire forever.


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