Loud horn to scare squirrels

I've had it! I've put up all kinds of physical obstacles to prevent
squirrels from getting to the bird feeder outside my study window, but the
gymnastic squirrels keep outsmarting me and mastering the obstacles.

I'd like to be able to push a button on my study desk when I see a squirrel
climbing up to the feeder, and have an ear-splitting horn next to the feeder
blast him.

I've googled (actually froogled) horns, but don't know what I'm seeing. I
would be grately deepful if you could recommend a relatively inexpensive
setup.

Thanks
Tim Carr

 

Sit with your shotgun sticking out the study window, BLAMmmmmmmm
Good Entertainment eh?

Regards
Daveb

 

Remember that other things than the squirrel will hear this, including
humans (you...). Unless you are very isolated, you could be walking
towards annoying your neighbours a lot. At the sort of volumes you need to
really make squirrels go, you risk damaging your own hearing. Consider
going for sound at frequencies above normal hearing. Look at:
http://www.amazing1.com/ultra.htm
Look at the PPF4/PPF40....
The volume involved here is enough that it _will_ cause discomfort to
humans in the area, but beyond a few tens of feet, this effect disappears,
removing the annoyance to your neighbours, but the volume involved up
close is so high, that it should make everything disappear. Make sure it
is aimed away from you though.

Best Wishes

 

Along the lines of your original idea, go to Google or eBay and type
in "Personal Siren". You should find an amazing number of personal
protector alarms with 115 dB electronic sirens for cheap prices.

Next you have to take this apart and run two small wires (like speaker
cable) from indoors to outdoors. I would put the siren part outdoors
and mount the battery and a pushbutton switch (you need a pushbutton
switch - like a doorbell button) indoors. The battery holder you can
get from Radio Shack. You might need to do a bit of soldering so
either learn it yourself or get a friend to help.

Beachcomber

 

Electric fence. Quiet, reliable. Inexpensive. Safe. Available at farm supply
stores.

 

Check the local ordinance regarding nuisance noise generation before getting
too involved. May be further ahead asking the local humane society branch
what they recommend regarding your pests for proper dispersement of their
antics.

 

There are schematics on the web for electric fence chargers. I have
squirrels also but found some squirrel proof feeders that work.

Something that worked well for me - one feeder is on a pole and well
away from trees etc.. The squirrels had to run up the 4X4 wood post
to get to the feeder. I took the feeder off and slipped a 6 foot
section of 4-5" plastic drain pipe over it. They can't climb the pole
if they can't get their claws into it. Worked well, inexpensive,
quiet, and safe.

"Ear Splitting" my guess is that's more hassle than its worth. You
may give up before they do. I'd consider an ultrasonic horn first.

 

Personally, my view is anyone that feeds wild birds that, in return, shit on
their washing deserves to be plagued by squirrels.

How often do squirrels ever shit on anyones washing ?.

CG...

 

Fence charger, works any time and you don't need to watch it.

 

maybe try loud ultrasonics, even too high a frequency for dogs to hear.
some information i've read tends to suggest it'll make the skin feel as if
it's crawling, nervousness follows, then jumpiness, then an immediate urge
to either flee the area or kill the thing the sound is coming from. might
be interesting to see the effect on a squirrel, and any noughbours kids
that decide to disturb your tranquiliy, i don't think it'd hurt them, and
it for certain won't damage their hearing.

 

They are too busy destroying peoples homes to take time out to dirty
some laundry. They have eaten numerous holes in my soffet as well as a
couple of holes directly thru the siding. Of course it wouldn't be
quite so picturesque without the nearly perfectly round holes gnawed
thru the wooden end caps of the overhangs (from the inside out, of
course). And what self respecting squirrel would build a nest without
the complete insulation cover for a 25' piece of HVAC flexible ducting.
They are simply very smart rats with furry tails and nothing more and
will systematically destroy your home if given half a chance. They are
also carnivorous and eat baby birds. You are absolutely right,
squirrels are indeed a plague. Oh yeah, they really enjoyed devouring
my A/C overflow pipe too.

 

I have heard that intense ultrasound can damage hearing. Also, intense
ultrasound can cause eye damage - at ultrasonic frequencies the lens is
rather rigid and able to resonate and brittle - beware of overtone
resonance modes should you avoid the main one that I have heard is not
much above 20 KHz typically. I have seen on TV how a probe vibrating at
an ultrasonic frequency is used to shatter the lens to make it easier to
remove in cataract surgery. I don't know how much SPL is actually
dangerous here, but I have heard of ultrasonic dog repellers possibly
being dangerous to eyes at close range. Hazard is probably only at very
close range within the "beam" of ultrasound - mount horns out of reach and
you are *probably* OK.

Other possible ill effects of ultrasonic pest repellers: You could
repel bats and possibly other enemies of mosquitoes.

- Don Klipstein ()

 

They also chew overhead CATV and telephone cables. WHen I worked for
United Video in Cincinnati, ohio the field techs carried "Sniffers" in
their trucks to detect RF leaks. A lot of the leaks were from holes
chewed through the outer aluminum conductor of the .750" and .500 inch
trunk and feeder cables. We had service outages where they had chewed
through about 90% of the a outer aluminum conductor and the remainder
fractured from thermal expansion which caused either 120 Hz modulated
hum bars, intermittent signal, or a complete outage. the outer jacket
was supposed to be rodent proof, but it didn't work very well.

--
The link to my "Computers for disabled Veterans" project deleted after
threats were telephoned to my church.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

Also works great for neighbourhood kids, not lethal but teaches respect for
electric shocks!!

 

perfect for the strawberry bushes too, just use household power and heavy
wires, and there will be no squirrels or children, after first experience,
that will bother your crop.

 

Take down your bird feeder and buy some peanuts.

Rick

 

Get a recipe for squirrel stew.

 

They're viscious, evil, filthy little rodents that eat live baby birds
for fun. I could do with a few less around here. I'm buying a fence
charge for the neighborhood dogs though. I think that will teach them
to not piss on my front flowerbeds.

Really? I'd be curious as to what kind of threats were made. What kind
of person has it in for disabled vets? At any rate, I don't think you
should let that stop you. You have rights too.

 

Actually, it was intended to cause me trouble. Someone who has been
stalking me online for several years made the call, and the local
Sheriff was informed. A report is on file, and they will follow up on
it after the hurricane passes, and they finish their drill following the
London bombings.

The project is still alive, but I removed the link from my Sig file
and message headers. I collect, repair and give used computers to
disabled veterans who can't afford to buy a system of their own. My goal
is 100 systems from July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006. That is about two
systems a week. So far, people have been giving enough equipment that
I'll meet my goal as long as my health holds up.

--
Link to my "Computers for disabled Veterans" project website deleted
after threats were telephoned to my church.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

So, what are you supposed to do with the peanuts?

I thought the most interesting idea was to sprinkle capsicum powder on
the bird food, since birds can't taste it. That was news to me.

Why do people post to sci.electronics? It has been replaced by
sci.electronics.misc for the better part of a decade. TANST!