How to Get Rid of Crows Without Scaring Away Other Animals

Thinning out trees may help you get rid of nuisance crows.

Crows congregate in large flocks during fall and winter, then split up into smaller flocks when the temperature rises. If flocks of crows frequent your property, their droppings can result in unsanitary conditions and may become a health hazard. Crows can inflict significant damage on agricultural crops and can also get into your garbage. The pest birds may also harass any small animals you own. To get rid of crows without scaring off other animals, incorporate measures targeted toward repelling the nuisance birds.

Things You'll Need

• Spoon
• Pan
• Distress call player
• Firecrackers
• Bucket
• Gas exploder
• Shotgun
• Blanks

Instructions

1. Run outdoors toward the area where crows have set up shop. Drum a spoon on the back of a pan and yell at the birds to scare them away. Frequently scaring them off may result in the birds relocating to a friendlier area.

2. Set up a bird distress call player that plays alarming crow calls. When crows hear the distressed calls of a fellow crow in danger, it warns them to stay away from the area. Move the distress call player to a different location every other day so the alarming calls remain effective and the birds don't become accustomed to them.

3. Use pyrotechnics to scare away flocks of crows. Suspend a rope of firecrackers over a bucket of water. Place the bucket near a tree in which crows perch. Light the rope, and watch the quick explosions scare off the birds.

4. Aim an automatic gas exploder at areas where crows perch. Activate the exploder so it makes an exploding sound and chases away the crows. Use a shotgun with blanks as an alternative.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep trashcans sealed with a lid so crows are not attracted to the garbage.

• Remove, trim or thin trees in which crows perch. Modifying the crows' habitat may cause them to leave.

• Cover your crops with bird netting to keep crows out.

• Trapping, harming and killing crows is illegal in the United States because the birds are protected under The Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The use of inhumane methods to eliminate crows is only legal with a valid permit.

References

• The Humane Society of the United States: Urban Crows
• Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management: Bird Dispersal Techniques; Thurman W. Booth
• Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management: American Crows; Ron Johnson