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The Vulture Menace

Discussion in 'Broadlands Community Issues' started by hornerjo, Nov 6, 2009.

  1. hornerjo

    hornerjo Senior Member

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    If you haven't heard already, Vultures have taken root in Broadlands and are starting to really be a problem. They have taken a special liking to the townhouses on Autumnwood Square (across Claiborne from Hillside). As soon as the sun rises in the morning, they fly on top of the houses and walk up and down the rooftop sunning themselves and resting on the heat vent. All morning long you hear sharp screeching of their claws on the roof. It can really freak you out as it is very loud (it sounds like someone is in your attic). They regurgitate these huge disgusting hair balls which fall on the deck. They also rip into the metal on top of the houses as well as the gutters, damaging the houses. We've also heard reports of them nesting at Hillside Elementary also, and scaring some kids. They are quite bold, you can get within a few feet of them before they fly off (I walked right up to two of them ripping into some trash last month).

    The residents of Autumnwood have asked the HOA to look into removing them. So if you hear anything about this, this is why.

    I've attached some photos taken this morning, 11-06-09, at 7:30am. I didn't get photos of all sides, but there are just over 30 vultures on the 2 sections of town homes.

    http://www.hornerfamily.net/bhoa/vultures_1.jpg
    http://www.hornerfamily.net/bhoa/vultures_2.jpg
     
  2. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    Alfred Hitchcock, anyone?
     
  3. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

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    thank you for the update and the fresh batch of NIGHTMARES.... gawd how i hate carrion eating big birds. i always have bad dreams that owls are pecking my eyeballs out, really slowly, staring at me the whole time. the vultures watch and wait til the owls are finished... I always wake up before anything else happens. i know. i need therapy.
    :scaredhide:
     
  4. Sasquatch519

    Sasquatch519 Member

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    That sounds awful. I did a little reseach on the problem and it doesn't sound easy to solve.

    Those things are federally protected, so it's illegal to just shoot them. They don't really have any natural predators other than eagles, and those tend to be hard to come by. I read that one woman was able to get them out of her shed with a ton of mothballs, but that's not really practical for a roof... the airflow would probabaly carry the smell away too fast. Another solution that seems effective for people with vultures in their yards is a motion-activated sprinkler, but that's not ideal for a roof. Aside from the constant rain effect in your yard, winter is coming and the lines will freeze. People have tried putting scarecrows up, but they only seem mildly effective. Apparently these things don't like loud noises, but your neighbors probably don't like those either. You can try stringing some fishing line tight about six inches off the roof - that might be a big enough pain to them to make them leave, but that's hard to do on a roof and unsightly.

    I'd try an airsoft gun. (just google "airsoft" and you'll find a ton of places to buy them.) They shoot little plasticy pellets hard enough to hurt, but not hard enough to kill. They even have biodegradeable ammo. Maybe if you climb up on a ladder and start picking them off every morning, they'll just give up and find a new place to hang out? (Hopefully not my house...)
     
    smaoury likes this.
  5. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    can you put a huge eagle or something on the roof? :) Can the neighbors all chip in and buy a spinkler thingy or some other repelling device?

    I wonder if your homeowners insurance would cover any damage to your roof?
     
  6. cmbm

    cmbm New Member

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    If you go to Hillside in the morning, they are hanging out all over the playground. The kids get a kick out of yelling and watching them fly away. They are gross but they do help clean up all the road kill around here.
     
  7. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    A paintball gun will get you a little more range/accuracy and carries a much harder "smack."

    Federally protected? Seriously?So my tax dollars go the Librace Museum & protecting vultures. That's it - no 1040 this year.
     
  8. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

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    don't vultures carry diseases that are transferable to humans?
     
  9. mamatothree

    mamatothree New Member

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  10. Sasquatch519

    Sasquatch519 Member

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    Yes the paintball gun would do more damage (and be a lot more fun) but the collateral damage of paint all over the roof, nearby vehicles, and innocent bystanders might not go over too well. :)
     
  11. hornerjo

    hornerjo Senior Member

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    I have a paintball gun, and believe me I've been tempted MANY times!
     
  12. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    Bird spikes seem to be the most logical approach but probably not practical. Stores use them frequently to keep sparrows from nesting in signs and ledges near store entrances.

    http://birdbgone.com/products/birdspikes/pbs

    Maybe you can wait them out - their roosting is temporary.
     
  13. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    Yeah - but it washes off, right? :happygrin:

    Or - be really mean and freeze the paint balls!
     
  14. tigger

    tigger New Member

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    Unfortunately they have been here for over a year and a half. The numbers are increasing all the time. They show no signs of wanting to leave.
     
  15. christinaandrob

    christinaandrob New Member

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    ick! i can imagine it's loud!
     
  16. cjfj

    cjfj Member

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    It's definitely just 'loads of fun' walking out to the car in the morning - especially on trash day. A couple of weeks ago I needed a 'vulture crossing' sign across my driveway - had one pacing back and forth between trash bags a few doors down from me in either direction. I thought about taking one out but decided black vulture feathers and guts on my white vehicle wouldn't look too good.
     
  17. RobVT3

    RobVT3 New Member

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    Put a scare crow on your roof. I haven't seen anything in the HOA docs that says you can't have scare crows.;)
     
  18. Sunny

    Sunny Chief Advisor

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    I have a PA and a really great Metallica cd that I would love to let you borrow for a couples of weeks!
     
  19. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    Halloween is over... DENIED! :D
     
  20. greggbroadlands

    greggbroadlands New Member

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    Please use garbage cans. I've seen packs of these things ripping apart garbage bags and having a feast...
     

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