As a Christchurch street is blighted by starlings, how do you get rid of the winged pests?
From reporter Lee Kenny:
---------------------------
For the Christchurch residents living in a street blighted by bird poo starlings are a menace – but how do you deal with the flying pests?
According to New Zealand Birds Online, the common starling was introduced for insect control, but they are now found across Aotearoa and the Subantarctic Islands.
They nest in hollow trees, under house eaves and even in letter boxes. As well as creating a mess, they eat crops and make a noise, which some people find annoying.
There are a range of methods to discourage starlings, from the cheap to the costly.
Westport-based Maintrac Group sells a range of equipment for dealing with pests, like starlings.
These include the high-tech Bird-X, a $795 device that uses red and green laser beams to deter birds.
Deploying bird spikes is among the least expensive options. The stainless steel spikes can be adhered to surfaces, preventing birds from landing and therefore pooping on property below.
“A successful way to deter starlings is to prevent them from landing,” Maintrac Group's website says.
“Starlings need a lot of energy just to fly, so if they are prevented from landing near a food source they soon use up what energy they do have, and have to move off to other areas to feed. If one goes, they all go.”
Shiny holographic tape can also be applied to surfaces to discourage the birds from settling, while an artificial osprey hawk does a similar job.
Another option is a Carousel Gas Gun, which makes a loud bang and scares unwanted birds away.
The noise will be familiar to anyone who has spent time in the countryside, but the intermittent blasts might not be suitable for suburbia.
A less noisy option might be an ultrasonic bird and animal repellent, which emits a high-frequency sound to scare away flying pests.
Despite the thousands of starlings that descend on Dudley St, Richmond, each summer, one pest expert said they are not a common problem in Christchurch.
“The bird-work we do is usually involving pigeons,” Gary Hendrikse, director of Elite Pest Control, said.
“I don't think I've ever had a call to get rid of starlings.
“The only other nuisance birds are ones that nest in people's ceilings, that's often to do with preventing access.”
Other methods for discouraging starlings include removing nests and food sources, and patching up holes to areas that could be used as a nesting site.
$50 garden centre vouchers!
Our winners this week have won $50 to spend at a local garden centre.
Congratulations to:
Cassie Arauzo from Cockle Bay
Elizabeth Williams from Hillcrest
Luke Shamy from Hornby
Mitchell Hopping from Wallacetown
Get in touch with our helpdesk team here if you're on this list! If you're not a winner, check back next week just in case.
Kalle
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
Poll: Is it okay to grocery shop in your PJs?
I'm sure you've seen it while doing your weekly shop... In fact, it may have even been you.
What do you think about people heading to the supermarket in their pyjamas?
-
14.4% It's fine!
-
75% It's questionable
-
10.6% Other - I'll share below
Loading…
