Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 20:25:42 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: rob gibbs Subject: Re: Getting Vultures off the Roof MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The balloons are certainly the easiest thing to try first. If that fails, another relatively inexpensive method (though a bit more work) that has been used to keep vultures (and pigeons, crows, blackbirds etc) off of fire towers, porch railings, windowsills, etc. is to string a thin taught wire or heavy fishing line over the area where they tend to land. The wire is too thin to support them but prevents them from sitting comfortably on their usual perch. This may work for a roof especially if they tend to land and perch on the peak of the roof. You may try two strands about a foot apart and a foot high run along the roof ridge. A grid of such material placed about a foot above the roof should make the entire roof unattractive. There is also a reflective mylar tape made specifically for this purpose, it has a metallic sheen and twists in the wind to creating a moving shimmer of light and a vibrating sound that is supposed to startle and/or confuse the birds. A 300 foot roll -1/2 inch wide is available at http://www.birdbarrier.com for $4 along with other products. I'd be interested to hear what methods get tried and how successful they are. This is not an uncommon problem as suburbia takes over traditional roosting areas. Rob Gibbs Damascus, MD Les Roslund wrote: >Will, Arlene, Steve, Jordan, and others - > Thanks for the various ideas for discouraging the Vultures. I have sent >for literature from the Nixalite producers, and will forward that, along >with your suggestions, to my neighbor. I like the helium balloon idea - >mainly because of its being so simple and inexpensive. Perhaps raising the >balloons a few evenings in a row would be enough to force the vultures away, >and into a pattern of nightly roosting elsewhere. The Vultures also roost >on my house occasionally, so I may try the balloons myself. > >Les Roslund/Talbot MOS Hotline >Lroslund@bluecrab.org >Talbot County >Easton, MD > >======================================================================= >To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey >======================================================================= > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================