Help! - Owl roosted in my tractor shed.

Bird · Feb 19, 2004

( The owl must like new blue paint )

I know a fellow who has a large 3-sided shed and he says the only way he's found to keep owls from roosting in there is to leave a radio turned on all the time. I know he's had it on 24 hours a day for at least the last 9 years. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

TheKid · Feb 19, 2004

( A tarp is already on the shopping list - I just hope it doesn't attract the mice to hide under it. )
Instead of covering the tractor with the tarp, how about attaching the tarp to the rafters over the tractor.

SPIKER · Feb 19, 2004

I like the kids idea, tapr attached nailed/screwed or stapled to the rafters above where the tractor sets. and you can run some small wire across the rafters about 2" above them so it won't roost on that part of the rafters.

next like someone said, place a large bath type towel over the area , first apply dish soap, (I like dawn) right on the areas, wet the towel and lay it over them, don't leave it set in the sun! it will bake the stuff right into the paint! then have to use rubbing compound. the bug & tar stuff would work to. any way you look at it a lot of rubbing will need to be done, and maybe a follow up with polishing coumpound and spot glase afterwards. as the stuff comming off while rubbing will scratch the paint some. the spot glase will cover the scratches and a good wax afterwards... wax will keep the stuff form sticking again.

also like others the Owl is a great repelant for mice! and if you gonna play with the stuff the local kids may like to see some pellets too!

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Old_Hickory · Feb 19, 2004

( Instead of covering the tractor with the tarp, how about attaching the tarp to the rafters over the tractor. )
Poultry netting would work better, less expensive and easier to install.

DAP · Feb 19, 2004

To hades and back with the scat, the tarp, etc. -- POST A PIC OF THE OWL! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm bettin its a Barn Owl. The rest either burrow or settle in fir trees.

Soundguy · Feb 19, 2004

That purple stuff... or castrol super clean can hurt paint.. but simple green ( and greased lightning ).. aren't to harsh.

I've washed my ford tractors with them, no problems...

Soundguy

brewster · Mar 3, 2004

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I got back out to my tractor last weekend. I tried leaving a wet, soapy towel draped over the hood overnight. It didn't help. I also tried WD-40. It was about like using detergent - no better or worse. All that really worked was lots of water and elbow grease, plus scraping with a soft wooden stick. It looks like the paint survived OK. I'll try waxing next trip.

Sorry about no owl pictures. It looks like the owl moved on after I moved the tractor to a smaller shed with no perching place. It was almost certainly a barn owl. I had a barn owl nest in my chimney a few years ago. It caused a real mess. (The chimney has a new screen now.)

EastTexFrank · Mar 4, 2004

Hey, can I borrow your owl?
We store a van in the pole building at the farm and over the years rats and mice have done hundreds and hundreds of dollars of damage to it by nesting in the engine compartment. They just love to eat electrical wiring for some reason. Look at what I found at the beginning of this year. Some poor squirrel is going to be really annoyed at losing his winter stash of cattle cubes, nuts, berries and bulbs.
Do those electronic vermin chaser things really work????

Junkman · Mar 4, 2004

Those electronic chasers never worked for me, but rat poison always has. Just came in from picking up 3 deceased mice on the lawn and there were 4 more in the van. This is the only thing that I have ever found that will control them. I put it in bate traps that the dog can't get into, so it is relatively safe.

techinNY · Mar 4, 2004

As long as you can keep the pets out of it, I have a solution to mice. Put 1 1/2 gallons of RV antifreeze in a five gallon bucket, poke a hole in the center of the bottom and top of a 13 oz. coffee can, run a coat hanger through the two holes in the coffee can, bend the coat hanger to hold the top side of the coffee can (can will be horizontal) level or just below the top of the bucket, put peanut butter on two places of the can opposite of one another so the can will sit with the peanut butter on top so it will attract the mice, last but not least, make a ramp or place it so it is easily accessible to the critters. They come up to get the food, jump on the can to dine, the can spins and dumps the critter in the antifreeze and he drowns, end of story. The antifreeze won't freeze and keeps the critters from stinking up the place. You could also get other rodents too. I use RV antifreeze so when the bucket is full I don't have a disposal problem.