Suggestions wanted!! Unwanted starlings and sparrows

[frenchblackcopper]

My new building we put up in Pea Palace now seems to be home to unwanted starlings and sparrows. The building was built with one side of the existing corn crib as one sidewall of this 24x30 building. I used a tarp to close this wall off,instead or ripping the old boards off and buying plywood. I try to get home from work an hour before dark to get feeding and watering done.Everynight so far,once I enter the building there seems to be about 20 sparrows and 10 starlings flying around inside.My individual pens uses 2x4 welded wire above the 4x8 plywood. This wire extends to the ceiling-roof rafters and these pests do have to slow down,but can fly from pen to pen before I can get a gate open to shoo them out.Sometimes if it's still daylite outside they will quickly exit from the walk in door that I have to open to get inside this building. What really pullled my trigger was 3 nights ago I took a new loaf of bread out to feed the peas inside this building.I only fed 1/2 the loaf and last night I noticed what looked like flour on the floor.the da-n starlings had tore the plastic bread bag to shreds,leaving nothing but flour-like crumbs behind.
These birds craps in the water bowls for my peas. They eat the feed in the feedbowls,and now have taken up permanent residence here.There used to be a poison called Rid-a-bird,,my old boss bought these "wicks" that was perches and we then soaked the wicks with poison.Once the birds sat on these wick perches,they were dead within a day. I looked for these but it seems they're no longer made anymore. Since the alleyway inside this building is secure and no peas can get out of their individual pens,I can put poison in that area for the starlings and sparrows to eat,and the peas will be safe.I'm not concerned about "humane" ways to scare them away,,the only sure way to rid a pest that knows where a steady supply of feed is during the winter,is kill them,,and I have no qualms about lessening the population of starlings and sparrows.
Aside from grinding up alka seltzer and whole soybeans,,is there any sure fire home brew recipes you know of that will drop these pests with very little feeding,or very little time after they eat it? I could use a bb gun but I'm sure the new metal would get dents in it,and possible ricochet bb's could injury Thang.Ideas? And they don't have to be humane.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Sorry to butt in here....but...

It sounds like you've already made up your mind, FBC, but I have to jump in here and be "the voice of the small unwanted birds," and say that I really hope you find a non-lethal solution to your problem.
The reason that I'm butting in is because we had peas here who were poisoned with rat poison, and it was so painful to see our beautiful peaboy Boyo with blood coming out of his nostrils, I would not wish suffering that on any living creature.

"Please don't poison me! I'm just a little guy trying to get down the road!"

 

[spikennipper]

I would find out how they are getting in and mesh all entry points, no need to kill them, as much as they annoy you! it may take a bit more effort but it would be worth it, allowing them entry but poisoning/killing them does not sound that good an option as not allowing them entry in the first place and then not having to worry about them, as they say prevention is better than a cure!

 

[johnskoi]

i've got a group of 9 cats (all fixed ferals that for the most part, i've adopted) that for the most part keep the starlings, sparrows and and jays at bay ... every once in a while one will get into the pea pen --- it's one of the few times i ever see my peas go into a true kill mode trying to get one ....maybe a couple of barn cats would be a solution --- around here there are people looking to rehome colonies of feral cats --- if you enjoy any wild birds around your house,though, they will be a thing of the past...

other option would be havahart traps (the name's always struck as a little oxymoronic) .. the traps would be an ongoing thing tho, as new birds would take residence....

 

[frenchblackcopper]

I will look for their entry point this weekend and see about fixing-plugging it but last winter they actually pecked dirt away from the bottom splashboards to get inside. I got lucky tho for awhile, once when it was thawed I moved some dry dirt to fill in these holes and the day before a big freeze was coming would soak the dirt with water so it would freeze. We only have 1 housecat but also have 8 German Shepherds to feed daily so adding cats isn't an option. These pests are nasty in the worst sense of the word. I think if trapped and relocated, they would come back?

 

[Arbor]

Both sparrows and starlings are introduced species from Europe. No one should have any qualms about ridding themselves of these pests. I have a problem with them nesting in the boom of my bucket truck, I use a bb gun, or stuff the gap with something when I'm not using the truck. Only problem with the bb's, is that the buggers get smart and fly off whenever they see a human, only to return when the person leaves. Maybe putting up some netting that will snag them? Trapping and releasing them elsewhere is not a very good idea. Like chipmunks, they will still find their way somehow...I got no other ideas

 

[johnskoi]

other option would be havahart traps (the name's always struck as a little oxymoronic) .. the traps would be an ongoing thing tho, as new birds would take residence....

I think if trapped and relocated, they would come back?

i didn't mean to release them elsewhere.... easy enough to dispose of once trapped .... while i'm far from a fan of destroying any animal, at times, imo, there aren't other options.... if your peas go as nuts as some of mine do, it doesn't take much for a pea to hurt themselves in a chase...

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Well I found a spot I think they are getting in from and cut a 2x4 to fill the gap. I also purchased a Crossman air gun. I have a 300 watt lite that stays on at all times inside the Palace because it doesn't really get too bright inside unless the suns shining outside. That has been why Ialways try to get out there in the afternoon before it gets totally dark outside,to shoo the birds out of there,except a few times it'a already dark when I make it home,and the days are very short now.Today when I go to feed will be the first test if my closed spot was the only entry point. I'm taking the pellet-bb gun along,and if they don't get out when the entrance door is open,I'll try my matksmanship on them.
My peas are really calm when I come inside.They just walk out of my way when I fill feed and water bowls up,,,not too much room for them to get away anyway.But they do seem a lot more alert if my wife comes inside the building,and seem to be ready to fly if they feel threatened,but they have made huge improvements accepting someone other than myself around them(all except for Thang).The males trains are now growing a lot and I know this alone keeps the males more calm because they cannot easily turn around on a perch with 3' of tail behind them.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Tonight there was one lone sparrow in the Palace so the place where I found I thought they was getting inside at was the spot. Supposed to get down to 3 degrees here tonight so hope these unwanteds enjoys the cool breeze around midnight.

 

[zazouse]

The only time wee birds are bad here is in the winter, i guess our mild winters bring um down here, my peas chase them all over the place when they land so they keep them at bay for the most part.
I had a huge flock of black birds land in a tree by the edge of my drive way and every pea in the place went running to that tree, i finely set of a bottle rocket to get rid of them before they flew to another tree farther away leading a flock of peas in hot pursuit off my property