Best way to keep birds out

[masochists-r-us]

Sparrows seem to be taking over our eaves, having manged to get thru the old chicken wire that the previous owner put up. Before we repair, is there a better solution to stop the nesting and the flies that come with them ?

 

[Hobden]

A Sparrow Hawk?

 

[masochists-r-us]

A Sparrow Hawk?

Thanks Hobden,if we didn't have guinea pigs our running around outside it might have been a good idea :lol:

 

[88v8]

Flies?? Since when???

I would be very pleased to have them nesting, especially as they are struggling nationally. On the actual house this year we only have one wren's nest, although plenty going on in the garden.
Perhaps you could tempt them out with some nest boxes.
http://www.selections.com/norfolk-sparrow-colony-wooden-nesting-box-by-gardman.html?gclid=CJbn--7my9MCFUs6Gwod6RcEQQ

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17829620

Ivor

 

[Flyfisher]

Flies?? Since when???

Yes, that was my first thought. We have Swifts that return each year to nest under the pantiles on our roof and I can't say we've ever noticed a problem with flies as a consequence. Indeed we think of their return as heralding a new summer and love to watch them 'screaming' around the house.

30 years (and a few houses) ago, we had a garden that was teeming with sparrows but their decline is such that I haven't seen a sparrow for many years and would love to have them around again.

Given that they are so attracted to your eaves, I'd go with Ivor's suggestion of erecting a number of nest boxes - the more the better.


PS: wild birds are, of course, protected by law in the UK, so beware of disturbing them during the nesting season:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wild-birds-protection-surveys-and-licences

 

[Feltwell]

We've got lots of sparrows, and before we re-roofed the house they would get into all kinds of spaces in the roof space, including the gap between the attic floor and the rooms below. I never noticed any problems with flies though.

During the re-roofing, which was done in winter, the gaps they were getting through were plugged and a huge amount of old nest material was removed. We put up bird boxes, which they've taken to readily, plus they've found themselves a few new nest sites. Sparrows are social birds and we found "terraced" bird boxes worked well - like this one - but I made my own and the outer entrance holes were on the ends:-

http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/rspb-sparrow-terrace-nest-box.html

Only problem I've got now is the huge privet hedge the sparrows love to be in is dying It's got to come out at some point - where they'll spend the day then I'm not sure, hopefully still in my garden.

 

[LadyArowana]

Only problem I've got now is the huge privet hedge the sparrows love to be in is dying It's got to come out at some point - where they'll spend the day then I'm not sure, hopefully still in my garden.

You can buy them another one, all sorts of varieties available as 'instant hedges' :lol: http://shop.instanthedges.co.uk/product/prunus-laurocerasus/

 

[Feltwell]

When you sent that Lady A, I had visions of plastic hedges - a hedge version of Astroturf.

But no, it's a real hedge, and a real snip (pun intended!) at a mere £114 for a 3' length of hedge :shock:

Clearly meant for those with more money than sense. I'm much better balanced, having neither!

 

[LadyArowana]

When you sent that Lady A, I had visions of plastic hedges - a hedge version of Astroturf.

But no, it's a real hedge, and a real snip (pun intended!) at a mere £114 for a 3' length of hedge :shock:

Clearly meant for those with more money than sense. I'm much better balanced, having neither!

I didn't know you could buy real hedge like that, but was complaining to my builder friend that they ripped the old privet along the boundary of our building and he sent me a link! Much too expensive for a long run of course, and they planted small things, which have now after a few years grown to become somewhat decent. I was sad they didn't stick with privet though as it's so nice and dense if properly looked after. For a short space I might be tempted even if just to confuse the neighbours to suddenly see a full grown manicured hedge pop up :lol:

 

[88v8]

..the huge privet hedge the sparrows love to be in is dying ..

Unusual for privet to expire. Honey fungus?
Nowadays there's more of a problem with box.

On GQT they were praising Ilex Crenata as a box substitute.
https://www.paramountplants.co.uk/plant/ilecremaxhedge/ilex-crenata-maxima-hedge.html?gclid=CNuZ_5yeztMCFbEK0wodVfUAQw
We find that lonicera nitida makes a very good and rapid hedge, but it has a less open structure so perhaps not as good for perching.

Back to the OP... the only way I can imagine flies being a problem is if the eaves are obstructed, eg by netting, so the adults can winkle in but the less agile fledglings can't manage to get out and are dying in-situ.

Ivor

 

[Feltwell]

..the huge privet hedge the sparrows love to be in is dying ..

Unusual for privet to expire. Honey fungus?

Yes, I'm afraid I think it is. We lost a lovely big bramley apple tree to what was obviously a fungus - the only decent size mature tree we had at the back of the house - and I think it was honey fungus. We lost several immature trees as well, and the privet hedge is slowly dying back from one end. I'm not sure what you can do about honey fungus - I suspect very little. It's been a couple of years now since the apple tree died so I reckon I'm coming up to a safe point to plant something that is honey fungus resistant, which alas seems to rule out all fruit trees.

Davidia involucrata vilmoriniana (also known as de Vilmorin Handkerchief Tree ) has been suggested by someone considerably more knowledgeable than I for a not-to-big honey fungus resistant replacement tree.

When the hedge comes out I'm going to have to put a fence up (for privacy from neighbours) but would like to plant a hedge again, to eventually supersede the fence.

Not so sure about the lonicera nitida, looks a bit too formal somehow, I'd prefer something with larger leaves. This hedge needs to be about 10' tall eventually, and evergreen or semi-evergreen preferably. No conifers! Any other suggestions?

 

[Flyfisher]

Not so sure about the lonicera nitida, looks a bit too formal somehow, I'd prefer something with larger leaves. This hedge needs to be about 10' tall eventually, and evergreen or semi-evergreen preferably. No conifers! Any other suggestions?

Laurel? Large leaves, grows tall, is evergreen . . . . http://www.hedgesonline.com/laurel-hedging-plants

(link for photo purposes, not a supplier recommendation)

 

[88v8]

When the hedge comes out I'm going to have to put a fence up (for privacy from neighbours) but would like to plant a hedge again, to eventually supersede the fence.
Not so sure about the lonicera nitida, looks a bit too formal somehow, I'd prefer something with larger leaves. This hedge needs to be about 10' tall eventually, and evergreen or semi-evergreen preferably. No conifers! Any other suggestions?

This stuff kills honey fungus
http://www.armillatox.co.uk/default.htm

Ten foot. That's a hell of a hedge. We have 6 foot lonicera, it can be cut into wavy shapes as I might show you if I can be bothered to grapple with Bucket, but ten foot hmmm. Especially if it has to start in the shade of a fence. Laurel can look informal but from experience is a pain to trim as the cut leaves look ragged, so has to be hand cut. Hand cut is fine for chips, less good for a large hedge.
This site has a list of shrubs for tall hedges.
https://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Right_Species.html#15

Sad when established plants die. They represent something irreplaceable - time.

Ivor

 

[Hobden]

It's been a couple of years now since the apple tree died so I reckon I'm coming up to a safe point to plant something that is honey fungus resistant, which alas seems to rule out all fruit trees.

Put a buddleia in - they're cheap (or very easy to propagate yourself from a few cuttings off a friend) and fast growing, and it's very susceptible to HF! If it survives then you're probably safe to plant something more expensive for the long term. If it dies, nothing much lost.

Not so sure about the lonicera nitida, looks a bit too formal somehow, I'd prefer something with larger leaves. This hedge needs to be about 10' tall eventually, and evergreen or semi-evergreen preferably. No conifers! Any other suggestions?

Yew? Allegedly very HF resistant, but slow growing (about 6" per year in my experience). Makes a lovely dense hedge eventually though ...

 

[Hobden]

Davidia involucrata vilmoriniana (also known as de Vilmorin Handkerchief Tree ) has been suggested by someone considerably more knowledgeable than I for a not-to-big honey fungus resistant replacement tree.

See https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...t-list&usg=AFQjCNHZssufliDOPUQrnmXSc-HSBmym6Q