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Birds in the shop- how to get rid of them?

R

RTSmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
421
Location
Middle Tenn.
Occupation
Amateur demolition & dirt pusher
OK- now that it is plenty warm, and every shop door is wide open all day long. And all these birds (species unknown to me) come in, hang around and poop. We've tried the plastic owl, the occasional firecracker, strobe light, and I'm sure I'm missing something.

What do you do to scare them off, that doesn't consume all of your time?
 
Last edited:
willie59

willie59

Administrator
Joined
Dec 21, 2008
Messages
13,392
Location
Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
Hi RT, are they different varieties of birds, or seems like the same species of bird. I know in my area a Wren will get inside a building no matter what you do.
 
L

lantraxco

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
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7,704
Location
Elsewhen
My Dad liked to use #4 bird shot in his 12 gauge, inside the quonset hut.... silly old man, lol.
 
FSERVICE

FSERVICE

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Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Messages
635
Location
indiana
iv been told to use a amber caution light (like the warning light on a truck) on a timer have it come on every so often per hour.. or the old standby with the farmers here is rat shot in a 22!!! :)
 
W

wilko

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
362
Location
Oregon
Hire a grad student from the English dept at the local college to run around flapping his arms and squawking. It probably won't help but everybody in the shop will have fun and it might bring in fresh customers.
 
R

RTSmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
421
Location
Middle Tenn.
Occupation
Amateur demolition & dirt pusher
Willie- I'd say you are right. They aren't very large, and can in fact slide in under the overhead door when it is closed if there's any tear in the rubber gasket.

otherwise- several good ideas. I'm not sure if Wilko's will bring in fresh customers, or scare off the ones we have...!

I looked online once, and found several ultrasonic type devices that were pretty pricey. Haven't heard any mention of them here. Reckon they every actually ever sell one? I might have to try that amber light idea. The shooting ideas have merit (I even coach the high school shotgun team, so I've got shooters), but the collateral damage might get pretty bad. Got a lot of soft aluminum & windows around.!
 
SE-Ia Cowman

SE-Ia Cowman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
240
Location
Iowa
Back when you could buy the good chemicals at the grain elevator that had 2 or 3 sets of crossbones on them it was easy. Put a little axle grease on the rafters then sprinkle a little furadan on the grease and watch the birds turn in to lawn darts as they flew away.
 
FSERVICE

FSERVICE

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Messages
635
Location
indiana
that Furadan is some BAD stuff!!!!! iv saw the after effects of the rodents that eat it then the predators eat them then they are not far away either!!! there is a good reason they took that stuff of the market...
 
old-iron-habit

old-iron-habit

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Nov 22, 2012
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4,233
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Moose Lake, MN
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Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
Sand shot .22 rim fire shells work well up to and including pigeon size and do no damage to the tin, but it is still never ending when the doors are open.
 
Orchard Ex

Orchard Ex

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Jul 6, 2005
Messages
1,051
Location
Southern MD
Snakes. :D
No really, I used to use rubber toy snakes back when we had an airplane that was bird targeted. You had to move them around every couple days though.
 
scheirerequip

scheirerequip

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Oct 1, 2013
Messages
13
Location
Pittsburgh pa
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equipment and truck repair business owner
Years ago I worked for waste management everyone had bird crap on their tool box except two guys be and a buddy he put a plastic owl up no more birds I have also heard that the foil pie plates work too
 
M

mascas

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2008
Messages
54
Location
missouri
Occupation
Mechanic
We had pigeons in our shop when I started for a company. I dealt with crap all over everything for a year. Then I brought in my sons Pellet gun and shot must have been 30 birds. They never came back. I figured it would be an ongoing thing, but to this day they still haven't came back in.
 
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