Pest control for serious infestation of crows

TheBoyConor · 19-03-2019 2:01pm #1

Hi, I was hoping someone here might be able to advise on a problem we are having at home.

Now over the past few weeks around our house and yard, which has several large trees, has been inundated with ridiculous quantities of crows. They are fierce noise all day flying around but by far the biggest problem is the shít. They are shítting everywhere, on the house, on our cars, the washing on the line, everywhere and it is getting to be a serious nuisance. I was up home there over the weekend and I was astounded by the number of crows flying around the palce. Like something out of a Hitchcock movie.

My mother thinks that the cause, at least in part, is that a neighbour has removed some old trees in a boggy area about 6 weeks ago (which I don't agree with for numerous reasons, but that is another story!) and the displaced crows have now taken up residence around our place.

The biggest annoyance is that they are shítting all over the walls of the house which were just repainted last summer.

Have any of you had this problem before? Are there any ways to get rid of crows? Are there poisons or anything? I'm reluctant to use poisons though as I'd hate for other wildlife to be harmed or for something to eat a poisoned crow and die. I don't think shooting or traps will work as there are simply far too many to shoot or catch.

My mother is seriously considering having the trees cut down to get rid of them at a cost of probably thousands. That's how much of a problem they have become.

_Brian · 19-03-2019 2:11pm

Get or make a ladder trap.

Very efficient for catching large numbers of crows.

TheBoyConor · 19-03-2019 2:17pm

I googled them there.

Would the likes of Glanbia or co-op shops sell these?

What happens after they are trapped? I presume you have to kill them. How is this done?

Anto_Meath · 19-03-2019 3:05pm

Would a banger work for a few day, I am assuming they are trying to build nests at the minute and the fighting is them working out who gets the best place in the trees. If you had a banger on a timer to go off a few times a day that should shift them.

Bass Reeves · 19-03-2019 4:00pm

Whatever happens do not allow them to start a rookery in tbe trees. Was where the neighbour knocked the trees a rookery. If they are starting a rookery shoot up through the nests. and keep at it. A banger may work but they become immune to it after 2-3 weeks but this may be enough to move them on. If all else fails keep shooting the nests.

Genghis Cant · 19-03-2019 5:24pm

As far as I'm aware it's illegal to shoot or interfere with crows or crows nests , except under derogation.
You'd want to have a chat with your local NPWS staff before you carry out any action against the crows.

Poisoning is most certainly outlawed a good few years now.

TheBoyConor · 19-03-2019 6:37pm

Ok poisoning is out so. Grand.

I won't be able to use a Banger because there is a neighbour next door at the other side of the sheds and they are very contrary. What's more, the big trees are on the section of our yard closest to the neighbours. Similarly, we wouldn't be able to shoot there for this reason.

I would say I will have to get my hands on a ladder trap. Do these have to be baited?

I'm kind of amazed that crows are protected. The country is black with the fockers.

Oh Jesus, what happens if they set up a rookery?
I have no idea if the trees that were knocked down the road where a rookery. It is possible I suppose.

lab man · 19-03-2019 6:52pm

It's called a Larson trap you'll have to buy a crow that will call them I think, if u you tube it, they're is alot of videos on them

blackdog1 · 19-03-2019 8:21pm

Genghis Cant wrote:

As far as I'm aware it's illegal to shoot or interfere with crows or crows nests , except under derogation. You'd want to have a chat with your local NPWS staff before you carry out any action against the crows.

Pretty sure they qualify as a pest and you can shoot them all year round. Getting time to do it is another thing.

Say my name · 19-03-2019 8:57pm

No help to you op.

But I remember being at a dairy open day on a fine spread and the farmer was giving the history of the farm. There was a tree lined avenue to the yard with mature beech, firs, etc. The owners father was there too giving the history and they were able to give the date over forty years ago when the first rook set up a nest on the trees.
They never touched them and now have a fine rookery. They believe their luck changed when the crows started building their nests on their trees.
I suppose it's whatever piseog you want to believe in.

Odelay · 19-03-2019 9:10pm

They are nesting now and you won’t shift them short of a nuclear bomb. They are fighting tooth and nail for the chance to breed and your site is where the action is, a banger won’t have any effect. Remember the instinct to breed is storng, look at any pub or nightclub...have you ever tried to empty one?
The ladder trap will catch some. The rest will probably figure out to stay after a while. It certainly won’t scare any that aren’t caught in it.
Your best route is plan ahead and do what your neighbor did.

We had the same problem for twenty years and one autum removed old trees near the house and that cleared them all, even those nesting in outhouses.

older by the day · 19-03-2019 10:02pm

What about keeping them out of slatted houses and calf houses, they are nesting a km away but they call every day, i have to feed my meal to the cattle after dark and even at that they Shiite all over the silage,

Birdnuts · 19-03-2019 10:36pm

older by the day wrote: »

What about keeping them out of slatted houses and calf houses, they are nesting a km away but they call every day, i have to feed my meal to the cattle after dark and even at that they Shiite all over the silage,

Shoot a few and hang them up - rein enforced by a convincing scarecrow usually works.

Birdnuts · 19-03-2019 10:41pm

blackdog1 wrote: »

Pretty sure they qualify as a pest and you can shoot them all year round. Getting time to do it is another thing.

You can shoot and trap them year round under the NPWS derogation if they are causing damage. Other than that they have a winter shooting season like pigeons. But as mentioned poisoning has been outlawed for a number of years now due to the serious damage it can do to non-target protected species.

fergus1001 · 19-03-2019 10:43pm

Birdnuts wrote:

Shoot a few and hang them up - rein enforced by a convincing scarecrow usually works.

where is the op based I have an air rifle and can shoot a few to put the rest off

Birdnuts · 19-03-2019 10:47pm

fergus1001 wrote: »

where is the op based I have an air rifle and can shoot a few to put the rest off

Give him a pm - he would likely appreciate that offer

Bass Reeves · 20-03-2019 12:58am

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Ok poisoning is out so. Grand.

I won't be able to use a Banger because there is a neighbour next door at the other side of the sheds and they are very contrary. What's more, the big trees are on the section of our yard closest to the neighbours. Similarly, we wouldn't be able to shoot there for this reason.

I would say I will have to get my hands on a ladder trap. Do these have to be baited?

I'm kind of amazed that crows are protected. The country is black with the fockers.

Oh Jesus, what happens if they set up a rookery?
I have no idea if the trees that were knocked down the road where a rookery. It is possible I suppose.

The neighbour has a choice put up with a banger for a few weeks or have the crows there for the next 20 years. I be slow going knocking trees to keep crows away. I use a banger and a shotgun to get rid of them. An air rifle may or may not work if they see a few dying for no reason they may leave. It should be easy enough to unsettle them they will not want to breed where there is danger. There is no way i allow a rookery near my house or yard.

Never wrestle with pigs · 20-03-2019 2:09am

Ladder trap is very effective way of hitting big numbers quick. Just put a few loafs of bread into it. Any local handy man will build you one. Only need timber and chicken wire. Cull any birds in it daily, leaving one or two as to attract more. Keep it full of bread. You'll hammer them very quickly.

cute geoge · 20-03-2019 6:59am

They seem to be taking over every place around here as well ,a neighbour described going on holiday over to lancanshire and vast fields of tillage and not a crow in sight surely bliss for any tillage farmer ,How come there are no crows over there

_Brian · 20-03-2019 7:56am

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Ladder trap is very effective way of hitting big numbers quick. Just put a few loafs of bread into it. Any local handy man will build you one. Only need timber and chicken wire. Cull any birds in it daily, leaving one or two as to attract more. Keep it full of bread. You'll hammer them very quickly.

Yep.
Good idea to bait the ground with no trap first to build a habit, couple of days be enough.

Bass Reeves · 20-03-2019 9:05am

This country needs a massive cull of crows. They have no natural predator as any birds of prey we have will take smaller mammals or pigeons before they start to attack crows. They have the country side decimated of smaller birds as they clean there nestlings out of hedge rows and trees. Not sure if a larsen trap is the answer or OP is willing to cull the crows out of it 3-4 times daily. Most Larsen traps only take two birds at the time so you need to check 2-3 times daily to really hit numbers hard. You can buy them off this site

https://www.donedeal.ie/birds-for-sale/incubators-vermin-control-products-delivered/8917452

forestgirl · 20-03-2019 9:37am

Hi boyconnor,please read and knowledge yourself about crows,they are so intelligent and do not shoot any they will remember you and your family for generations. I am sorry for the hassle they are causing you but find another way around this.crows are beautiful

Markcheese · 20-03-2019 9:43am

I remember seeing a live crow trap in England, it was huge, as in I could have gotten in along with the 10 or 15 crows trapped inside, I assume it worked the same way a Larsen trap does,
But was ply wood, and a wire front..
If you shot a few now ( after warning the neighbours) would you "persuade" them to change location before they're settled...
I assume after this becomes a permanent rookery you're only ever gong to be keeping numbers down...

Bass Reeves · 20-03-2019 9:48am

Markcheese wrote: »

I remember seeing a live crow trap in England, it was huge, as in I could have gotten in along with the 10 or 15 crows trapped inside, I assume it worked the same way a Larsen trap does,
But was ply wood, and a wire front..
If you shot a few now ( after warning the neighbours) would you "persuade" them to change location before they're settled...
I assume after this becomes a permanent rookery you're only ever gong to be keeping numbers down...

Not if you shoot the nest regularly during the spring. But I would not let it get to that stage. I woulds use any method possible to prevent a rookery near my house or yard.

_Brian · 20-03-2019 9:58am

The only positive of the buzzards arriving here was their affect on crow population.
It’s a treat to watch the crows fighting them off with their skydiving antics but the population of crows here is a mere fraction with the rookery being abandoned after maybe 30years of use.

arctictree · 20-03-2019 11:19pm

_Brian wrote: »

The only positive of the buzzards arriving here was their affect on crow population.
It’s a treat to watch the crows fighting them off with their skydiving antics but the population of crows here is a mere fraction with the rookery being abandoned after maybe 30years of use.

We have resident buzzards and red kites on our farm. They definitely keep the crow population in check.

20-03-2019 11:58pm

Leave them alone. Theyre fascinating animals. Theyre noisy this time of year cos theyre mating and nest building but then the'yll move off afterwards. Ive had them for many years and they come and go, never did any harm.
Yes, the buzzards do attack them and take their chicks, but you'll probably want to kill them as well.

21-03-2019 12:08am

forestgirl wrote: »

Hi boyconnor,please read and knowledge yourself about crows,they are so intelligent and do not shoot any they will remember you and your family for generations. I am sorry for the hassle they are causing you but find another way around this.crows are beautiful

They’ll remember your family for generations?

FFS. Larson traps. Fill them up. Cull to your hearts content. Crows can be a total pox.

Bass Reeves · 21-03-2019 8:58am

Deleted User wrote: »

Leave them alone. Theyre fascinating animals. Theyre noisy this time of year cos theyre mating and nest building but then the'yll move off afterwards. Ive had them for many years and they come and go, never did any harm.
Yes, the buzzards do attack them and take their chicks, but you'll probably want to kill them as well.

I am afraid you are mistaken. First of there are a scavenger. Around farm yards when you feed cattle ration and nuts they will root in the feed and eat it. By doing this they spread disease mainly samonella (a blood scour) and another one I cannot remember the name of. They will also attack any weaker smaller animal. They are a big reason in the reduction of smaller song birds as they will remove the nestlings of these smalller birds from there nest in trees and hedgerows if they can access them.

Up until the introduction buzzards they had no natural predator. However even with buzzards there numbers have exploded over the last 20-30 years. Because of this they have become a pest spieces in this country at present

keepalive213 · 21-03-2019 9:43am

Every day the crows sh1t3 in the feed troughs in the yard, I have to regularly clean them, if there not doin that there making holes in bales.

https://youtu.be/0fbEmImSRQI

TheBoyConor · 21-03-2019 1:39pm

To the 2 people who are saying love the crows, they are no harm, I'm guessing that you don't have your homeplace adjacent to an up and coming rookery and hundreds of the bastardin' cúnts aren't shítting all over your house, cars, washing line etc. FFS, get a grip. They are not rare birds or eagles or kestrels. They are bloody crows FFS.

Thank you for your advice everyone else. Shooting is not a workable solution as my mother would not allow unknown strangers into the yard. She is very security conscious and would be wary. Not really that the shooter would do our steal anything, it's that they might innocently mention something in passing that they were at this farm and someone, in the pub, shop, wherever might over hear that there were machines, tractors etc here and come out and Rob the place. A bit paranoid maybe, but I get her point. Rural crime is a big problem today and she isn't going to take any chances, rightly.

Anyway, it seems my only option is to build a ladder trap which I will begin this weekend.
Hopefully it catches large numbers and I will have to go home every other day to kill the trapped crows.

For other people's information for the future I will keep the thread updated with progress

greysides · 21-03-2019 4:05pm

Genghis Cant wrote: »

As far as I'm aware it's illegal to shoot or interfere with crows or crows nests , except under derogation.
You'd want to have a chat with your local NPWS staff before you carry out any action against the crows.

...

Might be no harm to bear this in mind and check what the state of play is.

Donald Trump · 21-03-2019 7:50pm

cute geoge wrote: »

They seem to be taking over every place around here as well ,a neighbour described going on holiday over to lancanshire and vast fields of tillage and not a crow in sight surely bliss for any tillage farmer ,How come there are no crows over there

Brexit.

lab man · 21-03-2019 8:09pm

The boy conor there is a ladder trap for sale in done deal it's under greycrow and magpie trap might be handier than having to make one tiz 340 euro though

theaceofspies · 21-03-2019 8:52pm

Crows are like rushes and docks - monoculture species which thrive when biodiversity gets hammered in the race for profit

Never wrestle with pigs · 22-03-2019 2:04am

Don't forget to bate the area it's going to with plenty of bread a few days before you put it there.

Cattlepen · 22-03-2019 8:01am

TheBoyConor wrote: »

To the 2 people who are saying love the crows, they are no harm, I'm guessing that you don't have your homeplace adjacent to an up and coming rookery and hundreds of the bastardin' cúnts aren't shítting all over your house, cars, washing line etc. FFS, get a grip. They are not rare birds or eagles or kestrels. They are bloody crows FFS.

Thank you for your advice everyone else. Shooting is not a workable solution as my mother would not allow unknown strangers into the yard. She is very security conscious and would be wary. Not really that the shooter would do our steal anything, it's that they might innocently mention something in passing that they were at this farm and someone, in the pub, shop, wherever might over hear that there were machines, tractors etc here and come out and Rob the place. A bit paranoid maybe, but I get her point. Rural crime is a big problem today and she isn't going to take any chances, rightly.

Anyway, it seems my only option is to build a ladder trap which I will begin this weekend.
Hopefully it catches large numbers and I will have to go home every other day to kill the trapped crows.

For other people's information for the future I will keep the thread updated with progress

Sorry for this but your first paragraph has me in stitches here. It kind of reminds me of Frank Kelly’s “12 days of Christmas “. Again, sorry, but it just sounds so funny

Bog Man 1 · 23-03-2019 11:57am

Crows are always within 30 miles of people . They feed of of crops we grow and feed we leave out . They actually live a very long time some of them more than 25 years .Most of the dead ones you see are young crows . The Buzzards have caused a few of our rookeries to move .

archer22 · 23-03-2019 12:51pm

Rooks are quite beneficial to Farmers

www.mayonews.ie/living/outdoor-living/29341-shoot-the-rook-pay-the-price[/url]

sorry that doesn't seem to go through for some reason...anyhow the jist of it is they eat vast amounts of bugs that damage grassland and crops

Ok sorted that link works now.

jimmy G M · 23-03-2019 2:37pm

I wonder is this any good at keeping birds away? Essentially a kite which looks like a hawk...
A few crows nesting in nearby trees and starlings looking to nest in the garden shed...... be better if they went elsewhere....

https://www.donedeal.ie/farmersnoticeboard-for-sale/crows-and-pigeons-destroying-your-crops/11211277

Mad_maxx · 04-04-2021 8:56pm

not sure im allowed reopen this thread as its two years old ?

my mother recently bought a new house , she wanted to be nearer the village for many reasons as she is a widow , house is great , low maintainance garden to boot , however there are are a lot of trees nearby and it looks like there is a rookery nearby , she did not notice it when she first looked at the house in October and neither did i , i live two hours away so only saw the property once

the noise is incessant , grounds covered in sh1t etc #

question is , could you set up a crow banger to run from say 9 AM to 7 PM ? , there are several houses within a hundred metres but the situation is so bad , i think you have to almost be prepared to fall out with them , there is no legislation which outlaws crow bangers so the guards would not be able to do anything about it , neighbours could go to the court themselves but that takes a long time

a rookery is a disaster if left the way it is

Bass Reeves · 04-04-2021 9:05pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

not sure im allowed reopen this thread as its two years old ?

my mother recently bought a new house , she wanted to be nearer the village for many reasons as she is a widow , house is great , low maintainance garden to boot , however there are are a lot of trees nearby and it looks like there is a rookery nearby , she did not notice it when she first looked at the house in October and neither did i , i live two hours away so only saw the property once

the noise is incessant , grounds covered in sh1t etc #

question is , could you set up a crow banger to run from say 9 AM to 7 PM ? , there are several houses within a hundred metres but the situation is so bad , i think you have to almost be prepared to fall out with them , there is no legislation which outlaws crow bangers so the guards would not be able to do anything about it , neighbours could go to the court themselves but that takes a long time

a rookery is a disaster if left the way it is

banger may not work you can try it. Shooting may help

Genghis Cant · 04-04-2021 9:23pm

Mod Note.... In order for crows to be shot legally certain conditions must apply.
Crows ( as far as I'm aware) can only be shot under derogation.
It would be advisable to familiarise yourself with the current regulations beforehand.
Link to example of derogation to follow. Thanks. GC

https://www.npws.ie/legislation/irish-law/eu-birds-directive-derogations

Mad_maxx · 04-04-2021 9:23pm

can you buy a crow banger in any agri store ?

cute geoge · 04-04-2021 9:30pm

I don know which is worse listening to crows or listening to a banger .A banger would be a great start with the neighbours

Calahonda52 · 04-04-2021 9:42pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

not sure im allowed reopen this thread as its two years old ?

my mother recently bought a new house , she wanted to be nearer the village for many reasons as she is a widow , house is great , low maintainance garden to boot , however there are are a lot of trees nearby and it looks like there is a rookery nearby , she did not notice it when she first looked at the house in October and neither did i , i live two hours away so only saw the property once

the noise is incessant , grounds covered in sh1t etc #

question is , could you set up a crow banger to run from say 9 AM to 7 PM ? , there are several houses within a hundred metres but the situation is so bad , i think you have to almost be prepared to fall out with them , there is no legislation which outlaws crow bangers so the guards would not be able to do anything about it , neighbours could go to the court themselves but that takes a long time

a rookery is a disaster if left the way it is

So you are going to create bad blood with her neighbours for your widowed mother.
Nice:eek:

Mad_maxx · 04-04-2021 9:45pm

cute geoge wrote: »

I don know which is worse listening to crows or listening to a banger .A banger would be a great start with the neighbours

well the situation demands a stern response , you can set them to go off every twenty minutes , hopefully that would help , would not set it to go off every three or four minutes like in a barley crop field

Mad_maxx · 04-04-2021 9:45pm

Calahonda52 wrote: »

So you are going to create bad blood with her neighbours for your widowed mother.
Nice:eek:

not the intention at all

her windows in the conservatory are ruined with crow sh1t , never mind the driveway

the immediate neighbours sold the house to her so they knew what was in store , would not be too sympathetic

Mimon · 04-04-2021 9:53pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

Shoot a few and hang them up - rein enforced by a convincing scarecrow usually works.

Don't encourage illegal activity.

Mad_maxx · 04-04-2021 9:55pm

Mimon wrote: »

Don't encourage illegal activity.

ive no gun so not an option and i dont know her neighbours well enough to ask them even they own a gun ?

Mad_maxx · 04-04-2021 9:56pm

do the likes of Glanbia sell them in their farm stores ?

Pest control for serious infestation of crows

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