Bird Repellent?

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I love the dung beetles of Texas, fighting over poop balls. Maybe crows eat dung beetles, I don't know. I've seen chickens going after them.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Murray, They do not mate with their brothers and sisters. If it is swallows that are messing up your lawnmower, just open a plastic garbage bag and use it to cover your lawnmower. When the swallows have raised their young and departed, throw the plastic cover away. Problem solved. If it is House Sparrows that are doing it, it is legal to kill that species of sparrow and remove their nest because they are not protected by laws that protect native birds. If you don't like killing, just do what I recommended with the cover on your lawnmower. With regard to swallows and swifts, which eat mosquitoes, flies and other small flying insects, no one will be very happy if those birds go extinct.

They really don't bother me. I wash the mower occasionally and laugh at the stupid birds. All good!

The thing I like killing most is hornets nests with my ol 16ga! No desire to kill a bird I ain't gonna eat...

 

[backhoeboogie]

I used to build wooden whirly gigs and at one time had nearly 40 fence posts topped with them. They didn't seem to deter the birds much. They get used to them I suppose. I intend to start back making them here at the new place, just haven't got my jigs out yet. They are relatively easy to make once set up to make a run. The wing hubs and painting take the longest.

Building a horizontal rotor is more difficult than it may seem. (I know, I tried it unsuccessfully several times when I made a helicopter whirly gig before I figured it out. )With cups, Even tho the returning blade(s) has the convex side of the cup facing into the wind, it's still the same size area (sq inches or fraction thereof) that faces the air. You would think even a sharp point cone would work but not really very much.
You will definitely want an odd # of blades. 3 might work but 5 or 7 would be better.
The best way is a hinged upper 1/2 along the length of the blade.
I'd have to draw it out to make myself clear.
Be careful what 'shape' the cross section of the blade ends up as. A moderate wind will make it violently shake itself apart because of the airfoil ..or cup up or down. Ouachita can probably explain the physics of it in text better than I can.
Play around folding paper to get something that will work before sending a lot in material or time....like I did .

these are metal I have some store bought opposing swirls that are in the middle of the peach orchard. A squirrel cage I kept out of an old central air unit I had replaced. It stands vertical now on top of a piece of 2 inch tube steel. A top hat on top of it throwing strange angular swirls.

I took an old lawnmower wheel and cut it down. Have the hub and bearings. Have 3 pipe caps extending on rods (an odd number) welded to what remains of the wheel hub. It is a horizontal spinner. Thinking of adding to it but I don't want to mess it up.

 

[gman4691]

As to legal ramifications: According to the National Park Service: "Barn swallows are by no means considered to be an endangered species. However, they are included under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 which prohibits disturbing the birds, their nests, or their eggs."

 

[Big Creek]

Flies aren't too bad around here either. I want to get some dung beetles to deal with them among other things but am having trouble getting them established.

Ken

Took me a bit to figure it out but, if you worm your cows during insect season you will kill the dung beetles. IMO, you are way ahead worming in the off season and taking advantage of the decreased fly populations that the dung beetles provide. Other than using a bunch of chemicals, beetles provide the best fly control available.

 

[kenny thomas]

Took me a bit to figure it out but, if you worm your cows during insect season you will kill the dung beetles. IMO, you are way ahead worming in the off season and taking advantage of the decreased fly populations that the dung beetles provide. Other than using a bunch of chemicals, beetles provide the best fly control available.

A few of the wormers are advertised as Dung Beetle friendly. Cydectin i think is one of those.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Ever seen 2 male dung beetles fighying over a s --t ball?

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Wasn't "Chuckie" a dung beetle?? I always thought she was a 15 yo boy with an attitude!loved her attitude
Have to have been here a bit.

 

[J Hoy]

As to legal ramifications: According to the National Park Service: "Barn swallows are by no means considered to be an endangered species. However, they are included under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 which prohibits disturbing the birds, their nests, or their eggs."

I didn't say swallows were endangered. I said their populations were reported to be in steep decline. Obviously, it is far easier not to kill birds in the first place than to bring them back from the edge of extinction. So we don't want Barn Swallows to become endangered or even close.

 

[Big Creek]

A few of the wormers are advertised as Dung Beetle friendly. Cydectin i think is one of those.

That's good information. The thing we always loved about ivermectin pour is that it would knock the flies off of cows for about 30 days during fly season.

 

[kenny thomas]

That's good information. The thing we always loved about ivermectin pour is that it would knock the flies off of cows for about 30 days during fly season.

Ultra Saber is much better for flies.

 

[Brute 23]

The barn swallows destroy the porch at the ranch. We have tried the owls, spraying them, and other methods mentioned. We are talking about having a company come put the nets up next year.