Another Crow Day Has Passed

[Henry]

Each Wednesday the crows make their way up the Fletcher Road, picking and pecking away at all the garbage bags and pulling out whatever and leaving a mess.  In the old days it used to be the dogs, however, with the leash law, you just don't see dogs out and about and if you do see one, you know someone will be by shortly looking for a lost dog.

It sure does make a mess and the garbage collectors do a pretty good job of picking up, but there is always a stray paper or plastic bag that blows around. 

Now I am sure that God created all animals for a purpose, but I think the crow was an extra.  It wouldn't sadden me to see it become extinct.

[David Shea]

Henry,

Very good observation!  The same thing happens here on Sam Webb.  I have noticed that the crows do not make a mess of the garbage if people put it in a trash can & not just a loose bag.

I have met Bob Perry our All Cycle / Casella Representative he is a very nice guy.  I can assure you that the men on our trash route will not be picking up this mess for long if the problem persists.  In the long run it will end up costing our taxpayers more than the price of a trash can.

Dave

[Henry]

I have a couple trash cans I could use, however, they are expensive and I find that they get flung, God knows where when emptied and if you have ever driven down the road when there is the least bit of wind, you will find many people's trash cans in the road - For the time being, I guess, after the trash is picked up, whatever they don't take, I will pick up and send it off again next week.

[BrettMichaud]

Henry,    Back wehn I was a youngster in Milton I had the same problem. It was one of my chores to take the trash to the end of the driveway, and of course those wretched rats of the skies would show no mercy, and no sympathy towards the bags. I always hated picking up scattered trash every monday! So as a youngin I tried picking off crows with my Daisy Pellet rifle. Gotta few but now I also had to pick up dead birds every Monday! One week my nieghbor advised me to spray my trash bags with bleach water! Now make sure that it is a very small amout to be respectful of our hard worker Trashmen, but to my suprise the birds wouldn't touch my trash bags!

[Henry]

Thanks Brett, I am going to do a little research on the Internet and see if I can find what a safe amount would be.  Sounds like the ideal way as I know that people who work can't pick up their flying trash cans and a while back, I had to dodge them on the way to the village as I didn't want to stop and get hit by an unsuspecting car either.

[BrettMichaud]

I was told only to put a 1/2 of a cap full, and not to spray directly where the trash-fellas are going to be picking them up. Have you ever wondered why there isn't a " National Trash Man Day" in the U.S.? I also feel we should have a "National Bottle Boy Day". These fellas defintitly deserve more recognition in society!!!!!

[trussell]

Actually, I believe "Boxing Day" (Dec 26) is to honor the service people- postal carriers, paper people, probably trash pickup-ers.  I think the tradition was to leave a small "boxed" gift for them.

[Henry]

You are so smart Trevor - I actually thought since it is celebrated the day after Christmas, that it was the day you boxed up the gifts and exchanged them for something you wanted - When I did an Internet Search for Boxing Day, it did indeed come up as a day you give gifts to people who have provided a service for you.

[Mike Raburn]

Henry,

Didn't you see that episode of MASH?
Geeze!

As for bird problems,
On a jobsite I was on there was this sprinkler fitter that ticked off alot of people.
Every trade came in the job shack complaining about him. He was a subcontractor's employee so we really couldn't do too much about it.
We asked his boss to remove him but we'd be short a man, so we in the office sucked it up.

Well about 3 months into the job this sprink bought a brand new shiny pick up truck.
He parked it next to the job shack outside of my "office window" opposite of the actual jobsite.

One day I looked out and his whole truck was covered with sea gulls. At lunch I saw him at his truck getting his lunch after shewing away the birds. Then when they dispersed his nice new truck was coverd with sea gull poo. He reached into the bed and hauled off a 33 gallon garbage bag and dropped it into the site dumpster.

It turns out that the other guys on the job took up a collection for him.
Fish guts.
This attracted the gulls and gave his truck a new paint job.

This happened about 4 times during the job until he started parking where he could keep an eye on it.

[David Shea]

Mike,

Great story!  When diplomacy fails.... alternate measures of passive aggressive behavior prevail.

I am guessing that he stopped leaving his bagged up trash in the back of his truck?

[trussell]

Although i wasn't part of it, I remember some co workers sprinkling french fries all over someone's car- even underneath the windshield wipers.  Same thing- lots of seagulls.

[Henry]

Next Wednesday I am trying Brett's Clorox Repellent - I will have plenty of time to change where I spray it and the strength I use as I watch from my picture window - Unless it is raining.  I don't usually have to wait too long before the crows arrive.