Propane cannons causing problems in British Columbia

A recent ruling against the use of propane cannons has Vancouver-area Canadians resting easier. (source: www.abbynews.com)

A Surrey, British Columbia resident recently complained about the bird control methods practiced at a nearby blueberry farm. The suburban Vancouver farm is using propane cannons to scare birds away from their crops. And, according to the Abbotsford News, more than one person has been displeased.

Bradner (B.C.) resident Don Gibbs is a member of Ban the Cannons, a group focusing on eliminating the use of propane cannons. The group formed in 2001 and has fought for a break from the ear sores. They took their cause to the courts that favored on their side on the use of the cannons at the blueberry farm. Their recent success gives them optimism for their long-term goal: banning the cannons completely.

“We were very excited to hear about the ruling. We have been fighting this thing for years,” said Gibbs. “We think the ruling has a lot of potential.”

The guidelines of the ruling calls for “a more sensible approach to cannon use, ordering farmers to monitor their fields and only use the cannons when a ’significant’ number of birds are present.” Though Gibbs is satisfied with the ruling, he still wants more.

Blueberry farms are like an all-you-can-eat buffet to birds. Acres of ground-dwelling berries and plenty of room to relax between meals is tempting. Shooting off cannons is successful in detering birds…for a while. Once the cannons stop, or once they get used to the repetitive noise, the birds will keep feasting on the crops.

The best solution to this problem is bird netting. Netting works well because it physically hinders the birds from picking away at crops. It also makes nesting, roosting and resting impossible.

Bird-X's standard bird net is one of three options in detering birds from farms and fields.

Bird-X carries three kinds of netting: standard, heavy duty and premium. Each of them are designed for specific areas, issues and birds for maximum effectiveness. And the good thing about netting is that it deters ALL pest animals. So deer, coyotes, squirels and anything else you’re concerned about will no longer be an issue.

More superb customer reviews for Bird-X products!

Excellent customer product reviews from our happy customers

Deer Gard prevents deer damage

I have had the product in my garden for 40 days, and so far no damage from the deer. I would recommend Bird-X DG Deer Gard.

By Thomas S. from Florida
–>View the Deer Gard Deer Repeller here.

Bird tape solved our woodpecker problem

We have had returning woodpeckers marking our home for the past few years. We have repaired and replaced shingles but nothing seemed to deter them. When they returned this spring we used this Irri-Tape and they have not returned. It was a good investment.

By David M. from Massachusetts
–>View the Irri-Tape shiny bird deterrent tape here.

Terror Eyes works well on pool deck!

We bought these to scare the birds from our pool deck. They work great !

By KC from Indiana
–>View the Terror Eyes bird predator replica here.

Bird Spikes are an excellent product!

PRODUCT IS EASY TO INSTALL AND AN EFFECTIVE
DETERRAND [sic] TO BIRDS.

By Gaylan F. from California
–>View the Bird-X Bird Spikes here.

YardGard animal repeller gets rid of pesky backyard critters

Love this item, keeps those pesty [sic] squirrels, dogs, cats out of our yard.
Won’t be without one.

By Kenneth S. from New Hampshire
–> View the YardGard Electronic Animal Repeller here.

No more bird poop on boat dock!

I bought two of these for my boat dock to keep cranes from depositing their daily #*@&. It took 3 or 4 days before they started staying off the dock. Now, knock on wood, the dock is staying clean and no signs of any cranes.

By Terry from Lake of the Ozarks
–> View the YardGard Electronic Animal Repeller here.

Keeping Raccoons Away From Your Yard

A family member of mine owns a lovely home in a suburban community a few hours away from Chicago. Some time ago I decided to pay her a faithful visit since we had not seen each other in so long.

After arriving and surveying the front of her home thoroughly, I greeted her with a displeased look accompanied by subtle sympathy. My obnoxious reaction had been targeted towards the repulsive jumble of rattled vegetation that she called a yard. It was an absolute mess. The trash can had been tipped, her yard grass had been deliberately ripped from the earth, feces were spread awkwardly on the ground, and the sides of her home were scratched up pretty badly.

I asked her about the mess and she confessed to me that she was at constant war with the pests that chose to designate her property as their personal residence. She was tired of constantly cleaning up after their nightly escapades. The most annoying of them all was the raccoon pack that discreetly established themselves as the rulers of her yard. Their lack of concern for her aggressive shooing tactics led her to give up on them. She once considered installing an electric fence but eventually came to her senses after thinking about the potential harm that the fence could bring to her young children.

She modestly asked for my help and I was more than happy to give her advice about getting rid of those pesky ‘coons.

I told her about the general problems that were affiliated with raccoons:

• Raccoons adapt very well to almost any environment with ample food and water sources.
• You will rarely witness raccoons in the act because they are nocturnal. The only sign of their presence is a tattered lawn with occasional feces lying round.
• Raccoons will eat virtually any food that they can put their grubby little paws on.
• Raccoons are wild animals, so handle them with caution! They are infamously known for their susceptibility to viral diseases, such as rabies, canine distemper, and raccoon parvoviral enteritis. Also, their feces may contain raccoon roundworm spores, which can seriously sicken humans if inhaled.
• Raccoons are not easily intimidated and can be ferocious animals; test them and they may perhaps sink their sharp teeth into your precious skin.

Tips for Getting Rid of Raccoons:

You must make sure that your home is not a desirable location for raccoons to inhabit.

• Secure the lid of your trash can (e.g. attach a bungee cord to both handles and let its elastic rope naturally fasten the top of the can).
• Station your trash can so that raccoons will not be able to knock it down easily (e.g. put a heavy brick inside).
• Apply raccoon repellent granules onto the lawn. Granules last longer than liquids and have a stronger scent. (Consider using Shake-Away Repellent Granules. These granules are 100% organic and are made up of predator urine, which signal danger to the raccoon.)
• Install a scarecrow sprinkler on your lawn. (Bird-X’s HydroBlast ScareCrow sprinkler is motion activated and shoots an extraordinarily potent water spray that scares animals away.)
• Most importantly, consider investing in an electronic, sonic pest repeller. (The Bird-X YardGard will surely do the job but if you have a more serious pest problem, check out CritterBlaster PRO.)

I wished her the best and assured that if she followed these precautions and guidelines, she should definitely see results in no time.

For more information about how to get rid of raccoons and other backyard pests, visit Bird-X.com.

How to keep your neighbor’s dog from pooping in your yard

I live in a gated community. Not a hoity-toity community or anything, but a nice place to live. Especially with the well manicured landscapes and park-like atmosphere. And it is quite serene. My wife and I like to take walks around our little community and my son loves tossing rocks in the ponds and running across “his” bridge.

We just added a new member to our family - a black Labrador puppy. He’s great! We take him for extended walks, but clean up after him wherever we go. Not so is the case with our neighbors who take their dog out early in the morning and late at night. And each morning and each night I find that I have to clean up an extra helping of poop because my neighbor lets his dog defecate in my yard and does not clean up after it.

There are several dog owners in our community and several “curb” or clean up after their pets. Yet there are a few who don’t. And there’s nothing worse than having to clean up after someone else’s pet.

I have talked to my neighbor, called my association so they could fine him, and even called the non-emergency police to let them know so they could fine him too, but nothing worked. I was at my wit’s end with my neighbor. I actually sat in the bushes early one morning and sprayed him and his dog with my garden hose. This is not something I want to do every morning and he is obviously doing this on purpose now (as opposed to letting his dog crap in my yard on purpose before I started asking him to politely curb his dog).

Yard Gard Electronic Pest Repellent Device

And that’s when I figured that the Yard Gard I had from Bird-X, Inc. was going to be my new dog defense system. I had purchased a Yard Gard unit to keep squirrels and rabbits out of my wife’s garden - and it sure did the trick! (I work at this company and was so happy to see firsthand that the humane solution is really the best solution). So I took the Yard Gard and placed it in my front yard (hidden, of course) and turned it on its motion sensor mode and left it to annoy my neighbor’s dog.

I know, you’re wondering how it affects my own dog. Well, here’s the thing: since it is an ultrasonic unit (meaning that its sounds are above human hearing), it cannot penetrate walls. So I leave my dog inside my house and let me neighbor bring his dog over to poop in my yard. You know what? That dog avoids my yard like the plague. And now the dog poops in his “master’s” yard. Now he’s forced to pick up the poop. And I have a poop free yard. And I turn the unit off when I walk my own dog.

If you have any questions on how to keep dogs from pooping in your yard, just check out the Yard Gard at and see how you can keep your lawn dog poop free. If you need a BIG solution to your dog or pest prob lem, look into the Critter Blaster electronic, sonic pest repeller.

Those pesky critters are invading my property?!

AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT THEM!

There are so many great things about a garden. Not only is a garden a way to relieve stress, but they make your property prettier, which drives up property value, you can grow fruits and vegetables for sustenance and it adds value your neighbor’s property which makes the whole neighborhood more valuable.

But, when you add pesky animals to the mix, you can pretty much say goodbye to anything mentioned above, plus your property will look worse due to the destruction these animals bring. Not too mention that your stress level has gone up and your fruits and vegetables have been consumed by other creatures - a garden can truly be a hassle…

Though, with a few bits of information and some “how-to’s” we know that we can help make your garden pest-free. First, take a look at the BIRD-X ANIMAL PEST REPELLENT page and familiarize yourself with our products. Then, let’s get to know our garden variety pests:

Armadillo

Armadillo: An armadillo is an expert digger. They can cause serious damage to a lawn or a nicely landscaped area. They often dig holes in undesirable places such as underneath a concrete porch, the foundation of a house or near water/gas lines. If they remove too much dirt from under a concrete foundation, the foundation faces the danger of cracking and crumbling - you could easily kiss your house goodbye. Their burrows may also attract other animals such as the opossum (see below). If you see a large hole in your lawn or property with a lot of dirt thrown around it, then you have an armadillo.

Chipmunk

Chipmunks: Don’t be fooled, chipmunks are rodents and are best described as small ground dwelling squirrels. While these little guys may be a favorite of children everywhere, they are not so much in favor with gardeners. Chipmunks are omnivores. Their primary diet consists of grains, nuts, berries, seeds and insects. They are also burrowing animals. They also like to eat flower bulbs, fruits, and seedlings - all conveniently found in your garden. If they are around in large numbers they can cause structural damage by burrowing under patios, stairs, retention walls or foundations.

Deer

Deer: We all loved Bambi and hated to see her mother get killed in the famous story, but this is real life and while we would prefer not to shoot the deer roaming through our neighborhood, darting across the street and eating all our plants - we must find a way to stop them…humanely. The primary concern with deer is their appetite. They will eat a large array of plants and vegetation. They will eat your crops, damage your trees and can ruin your nice landscaping. Deer are also responsible for the spread of Lyme Disease because they are carriers of Deer Ticks.

Fox

Fox: The fox is a medium sized canine with a large bushy tail, often tipped in white. The fox ranges in color from flame red to rust red to a grayish color, but is usually reddish-brown. The fox uses a variety of different habitats for dens including abandoned holes dug by other animals. Their diet varies and often includes small animals and birds. These guys a mostly a hazard for poultry producers. Turkeys, chickens, ducks, and geese are all susceptible to an opportunistic fox. Young pigs, lamb and small pets are also considered tasty morsels. They will also steal food left for outdoor pets. Foxes may carry rabies.

Mole

Mole: Moles live underground and occasionally come to the surface. Their cylindrical bodies and powerful front claws are ideal for digging. Moles create a complex labyrinth of interconnected chambers by burrowing both deep and close to the surface. Though your primary concern is the tunnels. They can leave ridged tunnels all over a lawn. While they are not necessarily harmful, they can ruin your nice landscaping and leave holes all over the place. Though, if you see a large hole with dirt all around, it probably is an armadillo, but a smaller hole might mean a mole.

Opossum

Opossum: Opossums are unique for several reasons: They are the only North American marsupials (meaning that females have a pouch on the belly where the young - up to 13 - are carried and nourished), they have a prehensile tail from which they can hang, and are also known for “playing dead” as a defense tactic. The main issues with an opossum are that they are known to find shelter underneath a porch or a shed. They steal garbage, pet food and harass pets. They will build a home in your attic and have their babies there. They will invade a home under the floorboards and in the walls. And if they die in your home they will cause a horrible odor (like anything else that dies in your home). The main problem with opossum in your attic, walls, basement, etc is that they leave a large amount of droppings which can carry several different parasites and diseases. They are not the cleanest of animals, and carry a strong odor that is unbearable.

Rabbit

Rabbits: The Cottontail Rabbit is not part of the rodent family. It is classified in Lagomorphs. Litter sizes up to 10 have been reported, but typical litters have 3 to 5 young, born after a gestation period of about 28 days. Eastern Cottontails are herbivorous, eating a wide variety of plant materials. They are cute to look at, both adults and children marvel at and are infatuated with them. While they may be part of some religious holidays, they also a known for creating a large amount of crop damage. In high numbers, they can decimate your garden. They will eat all the plants, flowers, flower bulbs and vegetables that you grow in your garden. Additionally, rabbits can infect humans through openings in the skin with Tularemia, a bacterial disease, which is also known as rabbit fever or deer-fly fever.

Raccoon

Raccoons: Raccoons are easy to recognize with their distinctive black mask and ringed tail. They are common in practically every neighborhood in every city and are well adapted to survival in cities. They are known as excellent climbers and have very nimble hands, are strong and are adventurous - with no problem tearing open new areas in search of food and shelter. They like to den in trees, but also find attics as a great alternative. They have learned that garbage cans and dumpsters are excellent sources of food and that houses are an excellent habitat. A mother raccoon will tear a hole in a roof to access an attic where they will make quite a mess and a lot of noise. They can cause quite a substantial amount of damage to your home by both contaminations from their waste or by structural damage to insulation, beams or even by chewing on wires. They will even break into a screened porch in search of food. If there’s food or shelter to be had, raccoons will break into your house, crawl under your house and climb through the walls. They carry a large number of parasites and diseases that can affect people and pets alike. They are the #1 carrier for rabies, a potentially fatal disease and they also carry canine distemper which can kill your dog. Their feces may contain raccoon roundworm, the spores of which can infect humans when breathed in.

Skunk

Skunks: Skunks are easy to recognize with their bold black and white coloring. Using special glands below the tail, skunks can spray their powerful scent up to 15 feet. The scent burns the attacker’s eyes and causes temporary blindness. Of course, the stench is too much for most animals to bear, and serves as a strong warning against future attacks. Most skunk problems involve skunks that have chosen to take up residence under your house or in a crawlspace, under a porch, deck or shed. They often dig to gain access to these are. No homeowner appreciates this scent under their deck. And, a skunk in the area poses a constant threat to nosey pets that are not aware of a skunk’s defense mechanism. Skunks are omnivorous animals that eat both plants and animals and will change their diet as the seasons change. They will topple garbage to gain access to food and will often eat pet food or the carcasses of rodents left behind by cats.

Squirrel

Squirrels: Squirrels are members of the rodent family and are very active year-round. A mother squirrel bears young twice a year, usually in February and August. They are arboreal, which means they live in trees, but they also seem to love attics. They are active most in the mornings and evenings and eat all kinds of food, but prefer nuts and seeds. They especially like the seed found in your bird feeder and their amazing acrobatic moves allow them to reach almost anywhere they want to go. To gain access to your attic or soffit, they will chew a hole in your house, often times near wires for phone, electricity or cable/satellite television entering your home. The attic provides shelter and warmth which is ideal for baby squirrels but not ideal for a homeowner who has to contend with chewed wood, beams and power lines which can create a fire hazard. They also bring nesting material and biohazardous waste into an attic.

Bird-X, Inc.