DEAR SUN SPOTS: Our Lady of Ransom Church at 119 Elm St in Mechanic Falls will be sponsoring a Christmas Fair on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vendors are welcome and tables may be rented for $20 each. Lunch will be available. For more information, please call me at 345-3274. — Josie, no town

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’m building a house on Ferry Road in an open, large field in Lewiston. Last week I went to check the house and discovered that there were thousands of ravens in the field and also on the roof of my new house. How can I get rid of these birds? I’m afraid that their feces will ruin the shingles. — Marcel, no town

ANSWER: This sounds like a scene from a very bad movie. Does anyone else in the area know about these birds and why they would be congregating in this particular field? Was this an agricultural field where a food crop was grown recently? When you were starting to build, did you notice them? So many questions…

After being certain the ravens haven’t built nests in the gutters (if they have you’ll want to remove them) solutions to consider include covering the roof with bird netting or using a sound device that duplicates the bird’s distress call or predator sounds. Unfortunately, it’s noisy and you would have to use it for a while to get the ravens to take the hint.

Another option is an ultrasonic device that won’t bother you or your pets but will disorient the ravens enough to make them want to leave. Another product (from Nixalite.com) uses the sun’s reflection and wind to deter bird flocks. Again, you might need a few.

On Amazon, you can find mechanical owls that use solar and wind power to make movements that look real (Dalen Gardeneer 100055888 Gardeneer by Dalen Solar Action Owl Natural Scarecrow Device, 18 inches), but you would most likely need several.

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Another solution is applying strips of avian-specific, low-voltage electric diodes placed along the areas where the birds normally perch. Even if they can move over, supposedly the shocks will make the birds avoid the entire area but will not cause them any harm. These strips are available from pest control companies.

A similar idea is to install bird spikes on perching areas. These are strips of small, thin rods that stick up and are made from plastic or steel. Bird spikes are particularly effective when protecting narrow areas like gutters and ledges. They can be purchased at garden and home improvement stores.

There is something called a bird spider, also known as 360 deterrents, that are perch prevention devices made from a series of long, floppy rods connected to a central hub. These thin rods fan out over a wide area, making it impossible for birds to land. Because they are often used for boats, you can find these at marine stores as well as buy them from pest control businesses.

If there are pest control businesses out there who handle this sort of thing, we need you, ASAP. And readers, let’s hear your thoughts … other than shooting the ravens or poisoning them, please.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name. We won’t use it if you ask us not to. Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

 


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