I work as a volunteer at a residential home for people with multiple disabilities. The residents and staff have fallen out of love with the villages population of peacocks that regularly visit the large grounds. Bedding plants make great dinners and the enthusiasm of the staff and residents for the garden has been affected.
i do realise that many people would feel the residents should be happy to host such a fine bird. But we would be grateful if anyone has suggestions of ethical ways of deterring the presence of the peacocks in the garden and specifically what might be done to protect susceptible plants other than covering them with netting.
Thanks
Hiya SC Welcome to the forum.
I can't be much help but there's a site here www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/.../peacock_pamphlet_for_website._pdf.pdf
It suggests swapping plants that Peacocks like for those they don't, don't know how practicable that is..
edit..again i don't know how practicable but instead of netting could you run something like wire/rope out with something shiny attached like CD's to maybe frighten them ...just a thought
hope someone can help you
Regards Alan
My photos are here and here
I think Alan's suggestion of swapping peacock-tasty plants for ones that don't appeal to them is probably the best long-term solution. Without things to attract them into the garden they probably won't bother going there much.
In the short term, there are various bird-scaring techniques that can be used but how effective they would be on a bird that is probably very used to people and strange objects I don't know. You could try getting a tiger mask and popping it in the undergrowth where they can see it, as tigers are a natural predator it might scare them off! It might work, though could give some people a fright lol If you do use any type of scarer though make sure you move it around because otherwise they can quickly end up getting ignored.
Mille & Fly on Facebook
Hello Alan
I have been on to the arcadia website and I am grateful for this guidance. Having said this, our peacocks spend time in a large bed of lavender just in front of the house that supposedly they don't like, but at least we have a starting point.
As for the CD's, I think i could offer this as another suggestion and expand the idea by asking residents to come up with their own ideas. Even if it does not work, we could take photos of the peacocks adjacent to the idea - and perhaps cause some amusement.
Stuart
Hello KatTai
I am definitely going to suggest the idea of the tiger mask. If it does not work, then again it will provide a talking point.
I will look up bird scarers and perhaps talk to the NFU!
Hiya Stuart
Sorry we couldn't be more help but seeing where you work it might be a cracking idea to get the residents to come up with their own suggestions if you point them in the right direction..same as you say it will provide a talking point and hopefully a bit of fun