Using Bird Deterrents & Scarers (Crow Bangers)

We would like to advise farmers & growers that if you are experiencing problems with birds affecting crops or grain storage areas, the use of traditional crow bangers should be considered only as a last resort.

Physical barriers should be used to stop birds getting into grain stores or feeding areas in the first instance. Consider using an electronic bird scarer, which use a combination of distress calls, danger calls and harassment sounds with the sounds of predator birds to create a hostile environment and cause the birds to relocate to a safer location.

Advice on the use of Bird Deterrents & scarers including Crow Bangers

If all such alternative means of scaring birds are unsuccessful, the following steps may be taken to avoid causing a nuisance with the traditional banger:

• When in use, the disturbance of bangers on nearby hospitals, homes or schools should be minimised. For example, place them as far away as practicable, align them to point away from neighbours, and use baffles.
• Avoid using bangers within at least 200m (220 yards) of sensitive buildings before 8.00am, or before sunrise and do not use after 6.00pm, or after sunset.
• Take account of the prevailing wind when siting bangers & remember that noise travels much further downwind or from elevated sites.
• Where mechanical timers are used, ensure that they are regularly re-set to take account of continuous changes in sunrise and sunset times.
• Use reflective metal baffles or absorbent straw bales to concentrate the sound onto your field and away from neighbours wherever nuisance could be caused. These can be very effective in reducing noise levels in the required direction.

• Ensure that your neighbours have the name of a responsible person to contact if the control on a scarer fails. Also display the name and telephone number at the nearest point of public access
• Ensure that scarers are properly maintained and checked regularly to detect any malfunctions that could cause complaints.

Positioning

• Place scarers as far apart as possible so that their combined effect does not cause a nuisance, taking account of the lie of the land, atmospheric conditions and plant cover.
• Position scarers so that they are pointing downwind (where nuisance is not a problem) – even a slight wind can affect the distance sound travels – and take particular care with devices that swivel with the wind.
• Prolong the effectiveness of scarers by hiding them – but not where they could cause a risk of fire.

Increasing effectiveness

• Reinforce the effects of the scarer by shooting, so that the noise is associated with real danger.
• Try placing a scarer inside a brightly-coloured container and place several similar, but empty containers in the field. Occasionally move the scarer from one container to another.