Jackhammer Noise Is Something to Crow About

QUESTION: What can I do about these incredibly noisy and irritating crows? I work at home, and the crows roost on my peaked roof and on the oak tree directly in front of my office. They “caw” constantly and loudly, and in acorn season, they retrieve the acorns, fly to the roof and pound on it, using it as a nutcracker. It sounds like a half a dozen jackhammers are going simultaneously.

J.L., Westlake Village

ANSWER: Getting rid of crows is difficult, almost impossible, in fact, unless you’re talking about a night roost.

According to Paul Gorenzel, staff research assistant at UC Davis’ Cooperative Extension Service, crow populations have been increasing throughout California in the last 20 to 30 years.

“They are an adaptable bird, and there has been a trend to increased use of our urban and suburban areas,” he said.

Although many Northern Californians are noticing a decline in crows this year, homeowners in the Southland are reporting a crow explosion in their backyards and neighborhoods. And many are complaining about what they see as a corresponding lack of songbirds.

However, “there is no proof that the decline in songbirds is due to crows, or scrub jays for that matter,” Gorenzel said. In fact, an increase in the human population and widespread habitat loss are more plausible reasons for their declining numbers.

Distress calls--prerecorded sounds of crows in distress--can be effective at keeping the birds away from night roosts. They work by attracting the crows, who would normally mob the predator causing the distressed bird’s cries.

When the birds can’t find a predator at night, they simply fly off. Generally, they won’t return for a few days, in which case you can play the tape again.

During the day, however, the birds will disperse only far enough away to sit and watch for the alleged perpetrator.

If the tree isn’t too big, you could try hanging shiny Mylar tape from the branches and install a few large mirrors at such an angle that they’ll reflect light back into the tree. The light startles the birds into dispersing, but they may come right back.

If the tree is tall and they’re roosting up high, you might have to lower your expectations to just keeping them from landing on the roof.

More and more pest control companies install bird netting these days, so check in the phone book under the heading “bird barriers” or “pest control” for a contractor or netting distributor who will refer you to a contractor.

Most respectable companies will give you references and a guarantee on labor and materials. Good UV-protected netting will last at least five years. Expect to pay roughly $1 per square foot, installed.

For a taped distress call, contact the UC Davis division of agriculture and natural resources at (800) 994-8849. Postage is included in the tape’s $14.50 price.

Cabin Is Built to Woodpeckers’ Liking

Q: When I built my board-and-batten cabin, I was told woodpeckers didn’t like plywood. Not so! Every spring they make a mess of it, undeterred by a plastic owl, three rubber snakes and metallic party streamers waving in the wind. These are white-headed woodpeckers.

J.K., Silver City, Calif.

A: Not only do woodpeckers like plywood, they are unusually attracted to it, especially board-and-batten with a veneer. The gaps in this wood provide an excellent place for insects to live and a woodpecker to lunch.

In spring, woodpeckers also spend a fair amount of time drumming, an incessant, irritating rat-a-tat. They’ll drum on almost anything--including houses, mailboxes and telephone poles--to establish a territory and attract a mate.

To tell if the birds are feeding or just drumming, check the cabin for a decidedly horizontal pattern of holes. This is usually associated with feeding.

In this event, killing the insects may help reduce the woodpeckers’ drumming. Treat the side of your house with an insecticide labeled for exterior use against wood-infesting/boring insects, but be sure it’s safe for the birds, which will continue to eat the insects for a while. Take care with over-spraying your landscape plants.

If the birds are just drumming, you should consider netting the area with bird netting to keep them out.

Of course, the birds will continue to drum on nearby trees, phone poles or anything else with good, resonant qualities.

The ultimate answer, of course, is to re-side your cabin with something durable that the woodpeckers can’t grip and aren’t attracted to, like masonry or smooth aluminum siding.

Take Steps to Rid Garage of Rodents

Q: Occasionally small rodents make themselves at home in boxes of stored mementos in our garage. The damage they do is irreparable. What can we use to get rid of them that won’t harm our active and inquisitive children?

R.T., Torrance

A: I am assuming you are referring to mice, but to be sure of what is living in your garage I’d hire a pest control company to come out and, at a minimum, identify the animals and show you how they’re getting into the garage. Based on what the pest control operator says, you can decide to do the job yourself or let the company do it.

The two tried and true methods of rat and mouse control are still poisoning and traps. Because you have children and presumably a pet or two, traps are the better bet.

Besides the obvious danger of having poisons around where kids and pets can get at them, you also run the risk of having the vermin die in hard-to-reach places where they’ll smell to high heaven.

Trapping mice is fairly easy. Use several standard snap-traps at once for best results. Some home centers and hardware stores sell a newer plastic version of the classic snap trap.

Place the traps along the walls of the garage and in dark areas where the rodents travel, making sure they’re no more than five feet apart. Place the sets, two next to each other if you like, with the short trigger side touching the wall. Bait with peanut butter, sunflower seeds, marshmallows or chocolate.

Double bag the carcasses of any mice you catch. If possible, use disposable plastic surgical gloves when handling the dead mice. Wash the traps in hot water and soap.

Once you’re rodent-free, take time to rodent-proof the house and garage. This frequently neglected step can make all the difference in preventing another infestation.

Start by blocking all entrance points and plugging holes larger than a quarter of an inch in diameter with concrete mortar or heavy-gauge hardware cloth. Steel wool or copper gauze stuffed tightly into openings will work as a temporary patch.

Don’t forget to check pipes leading into the house, any cracks between the foundation and the house and vents leading into the attic. Your efforts will also help keep opossums, squirrels and other wild animals out.

A second, equally important step in controlling rodent infestations is sanitation. Even a very small amount of birdseed or food lying around will sustain a mouse for a long time. Remove or limit open food and water in the garage and trim landscape plants away from the edge of the house.

You should not live with rats and mice. They can harbor a wide range of diseases, including plague, hantavirus and salmonellosis, to mention a few. Do not tolerate them in either your home or garage.

Critter conflicts? Send your queries to Andrea Kitay at P.O. Box 2489, Camarillo, CA 93011, or via e-mail at adkitay@ix.netcom.com. Please include your name, where you live and as much detail as possible. Questions cannot be answered individually.