Council urges restraint and consideration in the use of crow bangers

Donegal County Council is advising farmers & growers who are experiencing problems with birds, that the use of crow bangers should be considered only as a last resort.
The bangers have been tradiontally used to scare of birds affecting crops or grain storage areas but have been known to cause annoyance to those living close by.
The Council says that physical barriers should be used to stop birds getting into grain stores or feeding areas in the first instance.
The authority says that farmers could also 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.
If a traditional banger is the only viable option the council says the disturbance of bangers on nearby hospitals, homes or schools should be minimised.
Farmers should 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 – to take account of the prevailing wind when siting bangers – and to use reflective metal baffles or absorbent straw bales to concentrate the sound onto your field and away from neighbours wherever nuisance could be caused.