How do you keep birds out of your sheds?

[Oaktree]

I rescued a ferral cat. She was delivered by the local PAWs group. Spayed, chipped, and shot. I got 2 now one in each barn. I feed em a little dry cat food and water. No birds or mice for 3 yrs now.

Feral cats have a lifespan of maybe 6 months around here. Too many other critters that prey on them.
True feral cats are extremely wary of humans, I doubt a rescue group would be able to catch them, and if they did they wouldn't acclimate well. Maybe what you got were domestic cats that had been abandoned at a shelter?

 

[ponytug]

There is a local rescue here that specializes in "barn cats", felines that are too wild to be house cats, but not completely feral either. If you need a barn cat, I suspect that your local animal shelter can point you to an appropriate group/feline.

Our first two barn cats made it fourteen and sixteen years with us. They were always outdoors, and often far out in the pastures. One of them once got a substantial claw mark along her head that I think was from some raptor talon grazing her skull, mainly because she acted badly concussed for a few days. The other liked to hunt rattlesnakes. (And then play with them!!) At one point she had with a slight limp for a few years that I suspect was a rattlesnake injury, but I have no proof. My point being that some cats do just fine in the presence of other predators. We leave out some kibble in the garage for them, and shut it at night to keep the kibble bar away from raccoons, skunks and possums.

YMMV...

All the best,

Peter

 

[scootr]

Feral cats have a lifespan of maybe 6 months around here. Too many other critters that prey on them.
True feral cats are extremely wary of humans, I doubt a rescue group would be able to catch them, and if they did they wouldn't acclimate well. Maybe what you got were domestic cats that had been abandoned at a shelter?

What we got here are ferrel cats that have been trapped, drugged, neutered, chipped and lop eared for identification. If you want 2 they bring 4 in separate cages. They transfer the cats to your cage and you feed them in that cage for 2 months. When you finally let them loose half of them head for the hills and never come back. 2 stayed. These are not friendly or even just skidish cats. 1 lives in the barn attic, other lives under a shipping container that has a shed built over it. I gotta set up a trail camera to see her. But she takes her food most days, when she is not off somewhere for 4-5day at a time. Barn cat almost comes when called at feeding time. Will smell my hand if I slow blink and slowly present a fist. I dared to touch her once and she batted me away and showed everytooth in her mousetrap. Didn't come out to feeding for a month - and that was after 3 yrs of feeding and sweet talking. Yeah - they're wild alright.

 

[marks146]

Patience and a BB gun.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I would rather have the birds than the cats.

Around here, if they roost up in your rafters, they will be bird cicles in the morning. Out building is not heated.

 

[Yander]

I've seen them come under doors check that

 

[jrsavoie]

BB rifle.
I'll get plenty of nasty replies but I've tried everything with birds roosting in sheds, overhangs, etc.
A friend works at a local Walmart and their garden section is full of birds, opening bird seed, crapping everywhere.
Store manager uses a BB rifle at night when store has few customers.

I'm afraid a BB would go through the 29 he's steel on my roof

 

[jrsavoie]

Talked to the guy at Walmart and he said to use this. I told him I wasn’t to comfortable with that idea, so he gave me a box of orange clay pigeons to practice with in the back yard.
View attachment 773903
* sorry, I was just on the groan thread...

I've been looking for some 9 shot.
I have trouble making time to get a bird be slayer out

 

[Yander]

Where I worked we had a out building that starlings nested in and pooped everywhere. They installed a QB-4 bird repeller and it worked great. We went from a bird haven to NO birds....amazing.

Electronic Bird Deterrents | Electronic Bird Repellent & Control Devices

Holy moly, Those are not cheap. I'm guessing he doesn't have $450 worth of hatred for the birdies.

 

[Yander]

You may know this already but birds are pretty much paralyzed by a bright light in their eyes at night and they will sit right on their roost while you grab them with your hand. kind of like a frog at night. Depending on how high they are, you may go out their at night with a bright light and get rid of them that way.