Bird deterrents?

Castlekeeper

Has anyone any good techniques for deterring jackdaws from an old building?
It's an old stone house with a damaged roof that they will be useing for nesting soon.
I plan to do repair it during the year and I don't want to lose the first half or more of the year waiting for their clutches to fledge.
I'm thinking of buying a net or else an electronic deterrent but I don't want to spend a few hundred on something that they'll work their way around in a few days, they're probably cleverer and more determined than me.

_Brian

If you could borrow a tarpaulin it would be perfect.

Then there’s the option to get one, dispatch it and hang it up there. Ugly but it very effective

Castlekeeper

_Brian wrote: »

If you could borrow a tarpaulin it would be perfect.

Then there’s the option to get one, dispatch it and hang it up there. Ugly but it very effective

I tried the hanging carcase last summer they were flying around it within 3 day.
I'd be wary the wind would carry the tarp but maybe not?

Base price

It is very difficult to break their habit of nesting in a particular building. They will do their upmost to get in and I doubt a tarpaulin would last long against their sharp beaks.

Maybe something like a few sheets of galvanised steel screwed into place and tied down with ropes to secure it against wind? Also all windows and doors blocked up with sheets of plywood.

Mattdhg

We had a crow banger before to keep them from bothering the cattle in winter time, no good, were used to it after no time.

A tarp or net is probably the cheapest and most effective way. Hard to make sure they won't find a way in though

3 the square

Shot gun

TooOldBoots

hang old, unwanted CDs in the windows and rafters.
Get a bottle of cheap perfume and empty it as close a you can to were you think they will nest.

Castlekeeper

3 the square wrote: »

Shot gun

Overkill.
I'd say that wouldn't be too cheap either, and plenty of hassle to get a new gun licence now.
Whatever I do will happen within a week.

Una1981

Out of curiosity, what did you do to solve this? I have had an invasion of crows nesting this year and would like to be prepared next year

Castlekeeper

Well I'd 2 issues, the first was where they got the idea of nesting up on the feeder hoppers in the milking parlour, so I got myself a scare kite, which was good for a day or so, despite moving it around a fair bit. Then I built a retractable screen on a frame at the back of the parlour out of a winkbreak, the only entry point, had the hopped and squeze themselves around it and under it. So I finslly blocked up the hopper tops with bags of hay, and that shifted them.
I gave up on the old house, the roof isn't safe to be going up on, and I'll be re-roofing it next month. Sad thing for them is that the poof fledgling's are doomed, sheepdog knocks them off fairly lively, the poor crathurs have nowhere to hide and if I lock the door they'll starve, but any hole and either the dog gets in or they hop out into her waiting jaws. Not pleasant gathering the carcasses but it'll harden the young lads...