Controlling Birds Nesting in Trees

September 12, 2004 5:22 PM

Birdfilter 2: A tree on our street provides nesting and perching for the neighborhood doves. The daily crap deposited on my car is unbelievable. I may try the owl (though it sounds goofy), but are there other ideas? (The previous owners nearly cut the tree down, which I refuse to do.)
posted by davebug to Pets & Animals (12 answers total)

Shotgun.
posted by sciurus at 5:33 PM on September 12, 2004

habanero sauce on the tree limbs?
posted by kamylyon at 6:20 PM on September 12, 2004

seriously though,

A shotgun inside city limits is normally frowned upon.

Creating a non-friendly environment for the doves/pigeons is what's needed.

A few ideas were posted here, with links.
posted by kamylyon at 6:24 PM on September 12, 2004

neighbors used to use plastic snakes. Tidied up the poolside right-quick.
posted by jmgorman at 6:48 PM on September 12, 2004

Actually, habanero sauce won't work.
posted by Johnny Assay at 8:11 PM on September 12, 2004

neat Johnny, I honestly didn't know that
posted by kamylyon at 8:24 PM on September 12, 2004

Off-topic, from Cecil's response: Capsaicin sensitivity is perhaps the most well known difference between bird and mammalian receptors, although birds also seem to be insensitive to many other substances that are irritating to mammals, including ammonia and naphthalene. (A contrasting case is methyl anthranilate, grape flavoring, which is aversive to birds but not to mammals.)

Which I guess confirms the rumour I'd heard, that grape koolaid powder would get Canadian Geese off the beach. Though I, personally, feel they should be removed by shotgun.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:11 PM on September 12, 2004

This product has worked for me on a balcony, but maybe it won't make sense with a tree, unless the birds are very localized. I've heard that wind chimes will keep them away, and, though I doubt it, it seems like an easy thing to try.

Be sure to update this thread with your solution, if you find one! These birds are really persistent and stubborn, and anybody who's ever battled a pigeon/dove problem would swear they are evil geniuses!
posted by taz at 11:13 PM on September 12, 2004

Oh, look! I just found this story, so it might be worthwhile to have a look up in the tree and see if there is a hollow that is being used as a nest, and, if so, try to eliminate birdy access to it (the folks in the linked story filled it with foam insulation). Whatever you do, it will probably require a combination of ploys. Perhaps putting some kind of netting up in the branches of the tree might help - they hate anything that prevents them from getting a good foothold.
posted by taz at 11:53 PM on September 12, 2004

I had a pigeon problem and was told that the owls will work, but need to be repositioned every week or so. I decided it was easier to sell the house.
posted by Juicylicious at 7:17 AM on September 13, 2004

I had a bird in the tree outside of my bedroom window that seemed to only make noise at night. I launched ice cubes at it nightly for a week or so and it never returned.
posted by probablysteve at 8:41 AM on September 13, 2004

Owls probably won't work. They don't generally eat other birds. You'll need a hawk or something of that nature if you're looking to frighten them off. Hanging bits of metalic ribbon all over the tree can work too.

If there are other trees in the area that would be more suitable for the birds to perch in, you can encourage them by getting some cracked corn or millet and putting it around the tree. Maybe a pound or two a day for a few weeks.

You can also check out this company's products if nothing else works.
posted by guidedbychris at 11:05 PM on September 13, 2004