Starlings - I Hate 'Em!

ossian

ossian

Senior Member
Location
Scotland
Every year they return. From gawd knows where as I dont see them much after the breeding season. However, they invade my roof space and set up home for a few months each and every year. Last year we had significant damage to the roof - not caused by the birds - and I am a now less tolerant of the little pests.

Dont get me wrong. I love birds. I feed them most of the year but during the summer, I need to stop doing so because of the starlings.

When I had work done on my roof last year, I had the builders place bird deterrent spikes under the valley tiles where the starlings enter. Despite this, they have managed to get under the tiles at a different point.

This morning, I have just spent an hour fitting some netting over the gutters to try to prevent them from getting into the eaves, but I am pretty certain that I will have wasted a very decent Saturday morning up a ladder.

So, if anyone has any sound suggestions as to how one keeps these buggers out of my roof, feel free to let me know.

BTW....... if you have never seen a murmuration of starlings, check it on YouTube. It is an amazing spectacle.
 

Agree, they do try your patience. On the other hand I see a bunch of them on the lawn at the moment eating weed seed, so that's to their credit.

And that noise they make, they sound like a rusty gate opening.
 
Absolutely! Why do they have such an irritating chirp? What also amazes me is how intelligent they are. They can get around any problem. Amazing wee birds but such a pest. And messy devils too.
 

What really irks people this side of the pond is that starlings, along with sparrows were not a natural bird in Canada. Someone brought them over and they adapted quite well and will take over.
 
Redd said:
What really irks people this side of the pond is that starlings, along with sparrows were not a natural bird in Canada. Someone brought them over and they adapted quite well and will take over.
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I think if you find who brought them over, then you should give 'em a good kicking! :grin:
 
RadishRose said:
I don't like them either . They pecked at the small hole of a little birdhouse until one of them squeezed her ugly body into a house intended for small birds.
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Yep, I tried to keep them off the feeders by putting cages over them. But despite that, they still managed to contort themselves until they got their heads thru to reach the seed. Now I stop feeding during the summer when they are around. Unfortunately, my neighbours continue and that allows them to feed from their feeders while squatting in my roof.
 
No starlings here. Our pest birds are gulls and terns.

If your starling population isn't too massive do you think they might be scared off by a fake owl or fox? Some businesses use owl decoys to keep pigeons off their roofs and expensive signs.

There are electronic (sonar) bird repellers that make harassment sounds, but they are expensive. I have no idea how effective they are.
 
I doubt that fake predators would frighten them. Quickly they would identify that there is no threat from them.

However, I am not so sure about the electronic repellers. I will check that one out. I did not think there was such a thing that was effective.
 
ossian said:
I doubt that fake predators would frighten them. Quickly they would identify that there is no threat from them.

However, I am not so sure about the electronic repellers. I will check that one out. I did not think there was such a thing that was effective.
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Yeah, I'm not sure how well they work, so check out any reviews you can find on them.
 
Where I live in Wales, we haven't seen a single starling for ten years.
They've all simply gone, like the lapwings and the siskins and the bullfinches.

Our pest bird is the jackdaw.
I love feeding the wild birds, but these black bombers just take over.
They get used to me charging outside, and just wait in the trees until I've gone back indoors.

Apparently, if you shoot one, dozens of other jackdaws circle above.
 
Story has it, some bird lover smuggled a pair into the US? Turned them loose in Central Park & the western hemisphere hasn't been the same since. Nature, evolution has created them, I personally think they're a nuisance. But, in the grand scheme of things every member of the animal kingdom has a place, the only redeeming quality I've read about them is they are the mortal enemy of wasps & hornets. My wife is allergic to their sting, needs to carry pills to prevent disaster if stung. We had real trouble with the insect vermin in Utah, buying spray by the case, (adding chemicals to our environment) every spring. Another poster mentioned eating grass seed, that is also a benefit to mankind. They spread the seeds far & wide hopefully replanting the seed in barren waste land called 'suburbia'. Here in Oregon with the lush forested western half, we provide plenty of nesting for them, crows & starlings aplenty & few wasps or hornets. Helps with our production of organic honey for our Saturday market.
 
Son_of_Perdition said:
Story has it, some bird lover smuggled a pair into the US? Turned them loose in Central Park & the western hemisphere hasn't been the same since. Nature, evolution has created them, I personally think they're a nuisance. But, in the grand scheme of things every member of the animal kingdom has a place, the only redeeming quality I've read about them is they are the mortal enemy of wasps & hornets. My wife is allergic to their sting, needs to carry pills to prevent disaster if stung. We had real trouble with the insect vermin in Utah, buying spray by the case, (adding chemicals to our environment) every spring. Another poster mentioned eating grass seed, that is also a benefit to mankind. They spread the seeds far & wide hopefully replanting the seed in barren waste land called 'suburbia'. Here in Oregon with the lush forested western half, we provide plenty of nesting for them, crows & starlings aplenty & few wasps or hornets. Helps with our production of organic honey for our Saturday market.
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So they're not wrecking your roof, then?
 
Wrigley's said:
So they're not wrecking your roof, then?
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Didn't say that, we have enough trouble keeping our roofs clear of algae & leaves on a yearly basis as it is. There's a big cottage industry here with lawn care, leaf blowing & power washing everything between rain storms to take care of the droppings. The only thing I learned is not to leave it on your car, it will eat through the paint in a very short time. My neighbors complain about the over abundance of trees here but I point out that I used to drive many miles to vacation at places like this.
 
Son of P, You mentioned Utah and Oregon as your area,
but your "cutsie" profile leaves a lot to be desired.
I'm interested in learning more about the starlings.
 
Mix up a gallon of hot pepper spray. Two tablespoons ground cayenne pepper to every quart of water. Put in a good spray bottle and put the spray on "stream" get up and spray your roof. You don't even have to spray the whole thing, just here and there. Good for squirrels too. Repeat after two weeks or a heavy rain.
 
AutumnOfMyLife said:
Mix up a gallon of hot pepper spray. Two tablespoons ground cayenne pepper to every quart of water. Put in a good spray bottle and put the spray on "stream" get up and spray your roof. You don't even have to spray the whole thing, just here and there. Good for squirrels too. Repeat after two weeks or a heavy rain.
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I did not know of that tip. Many thanks for that. I fitted nests over the gutters and the edge of the tiles and this may have worked. It has only been 2 days since I did this, but I have not seen much activity since then.
 
ossian said:
I did not know of that tip. Many thanks for that. I fitted nests over the gutters and the edge of the tiles and this may have worked. It has only been 2 days since I did this, but I have not seen much activity since then.
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Ooops.....forgot to mention that the mixture needs to be heated on the stove to just below a boiling temp. Then remove from stove and cool. Add to the spray bottle. Don't stand over the pot when it's heating because the vapors are strong and be careful not to get any on your hands when you pour it into the bottle. Wear gloves too if you have them and wear a surgical mask when spraying. It works great but be safe while using it.
 
Thanks, AutumnOfMyLife. I have seen little of the them since I fitted the netting at the weekend. But I am sure that only means that they have retreated to consider their next strategy.
 
Another starling hater here.

Last year used a rubber snake l on our roof.

This year's rubber snake looks too fake,,but haven't heard the blasted birds trying to get under siding.

In winters here in PA., have seen starlings in winter plumage,, grey & black,,look like juvenile birds.
 

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