# A bird is ruining my prop!!!



## MonkeyBasic (Mar 22, 2009)

Help,

I haven't seen it myself, but the babysitter says she saw a small bird pecking at the styrofoam orb top of my tomb. There are 2 holes now.

Any ideas how to detract the birds? I had no problem last year. Grr....

How should I repair this? I was thinking using some GreatStuff and shaving it down to match the surface. What do you think?

Thanks!


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

yep, great stuff.
maybe an owl on your headstone will work?


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## hedg12 (Jul 6, 2008)

I second the owl. I had a problem with sparrows and robins in my barn - put a plastic owl on a shelf across from the door & haven't had a problem since. Farm supply stores carry plastic owls just for this. Looks great in my haunt, too!


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## Denhaunt (Aug 18, 2006)

I've got the exact same problem! I spent a month carving my pillars only to have the local woodpeckers have their way with them (the tombstones haven't escaped the bird's wrath either). I finally gave up and covered them with a tarp. My plan is to put my scarecrow to work to see if this will deter the carnage. Funny - I'll actually be using my scarecrow to scare away birds..._eureka_!!!


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## MonkeyBasic (Mar 22, 2009)

Thanks guys, I'll try and get a plastic owl (not exact sure from where), I guess I can work it into the scene


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

MonkeyBasic said:


> Thanks guys, I'll try and get a plastic owl (not exact sure from where), I guess I can work it into the scene


You can get them from Harbor Freight. Local if you have one, otherwise, order one online.


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## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

Cut 4" lengths of wire and stick in about 10 all around the top. That will prevent the bird from landing and doing his business.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

If you can't find an owl, maybe a vulture would work


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## tot13 (Jul 25, 2007)

MonkeyBasic said:


> Thanks guys, I'll try and get a plastic owl (not exact sure from where), I guess I can work it into the scene


I paid $1 for about an 18" decoy owl at Goodwill. I realize that's not a typical Goodwill item, but I am suggesting that you look everywhere before paying the regular retail price.


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## MonkeyBasic (Mar 22, 2009)

good idea, and I put a plastic bag over the top until I get one.


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

tell the baby sitter to earn her money get off her lazy butt and go out and swat the dag gum thing LMAO


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## dynoflyer (Oct 8, 2006)

Last year a woodpecker did the same to my obelisk, I used wood filler to repair the damage and mixed some craft paint to match the color. So far this year the woodpecker hasn't been back. Someone told me woodpeckers like the hollow sound they get.


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## Rich_K (Mar 7, 2009)

I had a 13ft Clock Tower, some kind of bird pecked 2 holes in the styrofoam top. Fixed it with Great Stuff and put some Ravens up there, one had it's wings out. Worked fine.


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## TheOneAndOnlyKelly (May 7, 2009)

What about a pellet gun and patience...?


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## billman (May 3, 2006)

Here ya go:


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## Eeeekim (Aug 14, 2009)

billman nice find! LOL


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## Denhaunt (Aug 18, 2006)

The mailman would hate me. Come to think of it, so would the paperboy, the meter man, the neighbors, oh, and don't forget the random religion peddlers with their annoying little pamphlets. I may not ever get another delivery or public service....but oh the fun I would have.

Must...resist..temptation...


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## MonkeyBasic (Mar 22, 2009)

Ok, here's an update... I confirmed that it is indeed a woodpecker.

I've Great Stuff'd the holes (I love this stuff!!!) and repainted to match. I've added a crow to the top so we'll see if it's a big enough deterrent.


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## Tinman (Jul 5, 2007)

My neighbor has that sprinkler for his koi pond. The herons were having a buffet on all his fish. I saw he had added a heron statue to the pond and was curious as why (since he was NOT happy with them eating his pricey fish) and did he replace all the missing fish. When I got close it went off. I must have jumped 10 feet!

Maybe I should get one of these for the squirrel that is eating all my pumpkins. I don't know if real pumpkins are fixable with great stuff. :jol:


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## MonkeyBasic (Mar 22, 2009)

Well, that didn't work!!! The woodpecker got me again.

Going to have to go with something that makes noise or is shiny, apparently they don't like that.

I wonder how scary streamers look?


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## forevermy3 (Sep 8, 2010)

I found a nest under my deck that had spider web and other prop pieces in it. I think it was a Rat's nest. If I find him I'm going to stuff him for nexts years prop! (just kidding)


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## remylass (Sep 18, 2008)

forevermy3 said:


> I found a nest under my deck that had spider web and other prop pieces in it. I think it was a Rat's nest. If I find him I'm going to stuff him for nexts years prop! (just kidding)


Great. Now I'm scared of my deck.


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## samhayne (Jul 3, 2008)

Be careful with foil as it will bring more wood pecker. I use a plastic owl and a few crows on my setup and works fine...


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## Sloatsburgh (Jun 25, 2007)

I had a woodpeck drill straight through a 2" tombstone and peck through another one. i think it came back to one of them 3 times and I swear it is getting bigger.


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## MommaMoose (May 15, 2010)

Thankfully the local woodpecker here goes for gutters. Still he wasn't very happy with me when I put out all of my birds. Come to think of it the cardinals and blue jays had quite a lot to say also. But hey, this is Ravenhill Manor. Black birds on everything.


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## PropBoy (Sep 4, 2008)

air rifle with a scope, no noise no bird










-PB


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## cjbmaaaaaa (Sep 12, 2010)

forevermy3 said:


> I found a nest under my deck that had spider web and other prop pieces in it. I think it was a Rat's nest. If I find him I'm going to stuff him for nexts years prop! (just kidding)


We discovered that a rat got into our Halloween storage shed this year. Man was I ticked. My brother made this huge spider body out of paper mache and the rat made snow out of it. There was nothing left that was bigger than a quarter. Then we had a paper mache corpse blucky that was completely stripped of all of the paper mache. That dang thing ate holes in some of my blucky skulls, chewed up some of my hand carved foam pumpkins, and left a ton of poop and urine all over the place. It was hell to clean up everything. Ironically the one foam pumpkin he did not touch was the one carved like a rat. Go figure. My friend laughed at me because I refuse to put the rat pumpkin out this year. I was not going to honor the rat!!!!!!! Now I have it marked on the calendar to put special food in the shed every month!

As for your bird problem I would try using little bits of floral poking through the top foam piece. Stick them straight up so it is like little nails. If he can't land he can't peck, in theory.


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