How to Crack a Grackle Problem: Working Ideas for Effective Grackle Control
Keeping grackles out of your property is one thing – but successfully controlling blackbirds in the great outdoors is much more challenging.
Although grackles’ population has decreased by more than 100 million they remain a pest in most areas. How to get rid of blackbirds? Removing grackles is nearly impossible and usually not legal. However, making your property undesirable is very simple. Get relief with our grackle bird control tips. Find out what products you can successfully use as behavior modification tools. Make the environment seem unappealing and dangerous to them.
Grackle Distribution and Problems
Distribution: Grackles are found in the south-eastern areas of the USA. They are widely distributed in Texas and Florida.
Grackle vs Starling: What is the difference between these two noisy birds? Unlike the Grackles, Starlings are not native to the USA. Starling’s feathers are more spotted and glossy and their bills are thin, long and pointed. Starlings will eat anything from insects to seed. When it comes to grackles, these birds have long legs and tail feathers. Glossy, iridescent body and bright golden eyes give grackles an intent expression.
Problems: Grackles are known to flock with starlings and blackbirds forming an enormous flock. Because of their number, grackles produce an alarming amount of waste and can carry transmissible diseases. Aggressive and noisy, grackles flock to bird feeders and farm fields consuming everything in sight.
3 effective steps to drive away troublesome grackles
Getting rid of Grackles can be a puzzling task, but with the right mix of good bird control products and psychology, these blackbirds can be effectively controlled. Here is how to do it.
Step 1. Make access to the property impossible
If you need a barrier that these blackbirds can’t permeate, Bird Netting is the best solution. Netting will be especially good for small crops. Bird Netting is recommended for excluding grackles from specific areas. The product is effective everywhere when it is properly installed.
Consider the following:
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Bird Netting: Standard BirdNet – physical bird barrier that can seal grackles out of desired areas.
Cost: $60.85
Where to buy: at Bird-X.
Ideal for use: crops and vineyards.
Interesting
Bird netting products are 100% effective. However, it is sometimes impossible to protect an entire property with barrier solutions.
In this case, we suggest using companion products like visual scares, sonic repellers or taste aversions. - StealthNet – creates an impenetrable barrier that denies grackles the access to any structure on your property.
Where to buy: at Bird Barrier.
Durability: The product is made of high density, ultra-violet twine that will last 10 years or more if installed correctly.
Installation: the netting is installed to the cable with rings.
Benefits: Stealth Net is almost invisible and is available in many pre-cut sizes and colors – black, white and stone.
Step 2. Make food sources or crops taste bad
Taste aversions work well to repel grackles from crops, berries, grapes, cherries etc. Make grackles food source taste bad and create an invisible layer of protection. We suggest using the following:
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Bird Stop – very popular, inexpensive and working solution to repel grackles and other birds from desired areas.
Cost: $122.75
Where to buy: at Bird-X.
Where to use: on outdoor surfaces
Effectively repels grackles at: orchards and vineyards.
Multisensory approach is the best solution for effective grackle bird control. - Rejex-it® – a fogging agent formulated from a food grade ingredient used for the management of the nuisance birds.
Cost: $187.25
Where to buy: at Bird Barrier.
Where to use: on outdoor surfaces
How it woks: The product requires several exposures for grackles to understand and associate the irritation to the treated area.
Step 3. Make the area threatening
Electronic devices are extremely effective against grackles. They produce naturally-recorded predator sounds that make grackles think the area is not safe. We recommend purchasing the following electronic solutions:
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BirdXPeller Pro – is the best-selling bird control system that produces recorded predator cries to frighten birds. To repel grackles use Version 2.
Cost: $280.15
Where to buy: at Bird X.
Where to use: in outdoor areas.
How it woks: fully-programmable system emits audible sounds that deter grackles.
Effectively repels grackles at: farms, stables and barns.
Got grackles in trees? Install visual deterrents in your yard. These include large eye balloons, brightly colored scare tape and owl decoys.
The products should be installed in open areas where they are visible to the grackles. - Super BirdXPeller Pro – a perfect electronic system that emits real sounds to deter pest birds. To repel grackles use Version 2.
Cost: $670.00
Where to buy: at Bird X.
Where to use: in outdoor areas.
How it woks: The system emits audible sounds that deter grackles.
Effectively repels grackles at: airports and transportation platforms. - Mega Blaster Pro – is a powerful sonic bird control system that uses distress calls to create a “danger zone” for pest birds.
Where to buy: at Bird X.
Where to use: in large, remote outdoor areas. Mega Blaster Pro is especially good for multi-acre applications, like airfields, landfills, fish farms etc.
Coverage: up to 30 acres.
How it woks: The system emits audible sounds that deter grackles.
Wondered how to make your property less inviting for sparrows? Find out what products are the most effective for sparrow control and grab some tips here.
Are you sick of having to clean up after starlings? Here, you can learn about a great variety of excellent products that will make starling control much more successful.
Got woodpecker damage on your property? Woodpeckers can be particularly destructive. This link will provide you with working tips on how to control woodpeckers.
Top 3 excellent grackle proof bird feeders you need to know
Are those noisy grackles ruining your life stealing bird seeds from your beloved wild birds? Don’t let them do it!
Consider the following top-rated bird-feeders that act as repellents:
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Bird Feeder Grackle and Trash Bird Proof – simplest-to-setup product that works perfectly for all wild birds including grackles.
Cost: $74.97
Where to buy: available on Amazon
Grackles are smart birds and can become used to static scare tactics – designed to look like predators.
To keep your yard grackle free, use more than one method of deterrent. - Grackle Proof Bird Feeder by RollerFeeder – effective against nuisance grackles. The product completely eliminates bird feeder problems from large nuisance birds that disrupt bird feeders.
Cost: from $60.00
Where to buy: at www.RollerFeeder.com - Grackle Proof Bird Feeder – caged sunflower seed tube feeder that keeps grackles on the outside from eating the seed. Bird feeder has decorative cage design and four seed ports. The product works well with any of Deck Bird Feeder Poles.
Cost: from $ 49.95
Where to buy: at www.Backyardwildbirds.com
Best method for successful grackle control
Using multisensory approach – visual, auditory and taste deterrents – will have a greater effect on smart, stubborn grackles.
The combination of different deterrents will irritate and confuse grackles making the treated area undesirable and encouraging these black and noisy birds to find a more pleasant and hospitable place.
You can find further details of Birds Control here.
Comments
Why am I seeing Grackles eat safflower, which they supposedly don’t like?
Hello Inga,
Thanks for your insight. I have a squirrel proof bird feeder but it’s accessible by grackles. I wonder if I put an add-on roofs above the perches to make it a low clearance will help.
Thank you,
Joe
Do you know if the Bird XPeller Pro repels grackles but not robins? I am looking for a solution that repells grackles, but I don’t want to frighten away the robins that are nesting in our backyard.
We have so many grackles.They are even getting into my little bluebird feeder.They empty the meal worms in a few minutes. Thinking of shooting them for the feral cats. Help
Grackles appear on our property every late March and early June. They build nests in our stands of arborvitae and begin hatching their young in late April and early May, consequently they clean the feces ,etc from their nets from the young birds and drop it on 1 specific area , our back patio. We have tried plastic owls, spinners and other devices, the only thing that seems to work to a small degree is balloons tied to various objects on our patio. We own 1 1/2 acres so they could easily drop all the bird dirt from the nests on the ground but they prefer to dive bomb our patio and drop all of it there, this continues for over a month and they they migrate somewhere else. Any suggestions???
We have the same problem. the only thing that has worked is shooting one and laying it out by the patio/pool…about 2-4 yards away.
Hi
we can understand why common grackle birds not leaving your trees your yard too
we have 13 common grackle birds our outside our yard bad to have too
Hi
Me and My MOM We Can Understand Why Black Common Grackle Birds Won’t
Leave Your Yard Too
I Tired Screaming FLy Far Away Black Common Grackle Birds
how do I keep them from dive bombing and attacking my dog. I have an elderly English Springer Spaniel and they have actually ripped fur from his back.
Linda, I’m on a new property where I just shot a grackle with my scoped long-range pellet rifle. The entire flock became frenzied with fear then flew far away. It’s very quiet now and I don’t expect them to return. This is how I controlled a particularly nasty crow population at my last residence. It’s the tried and true methods that yield quick and thorough results, and shooting a pellet up into a tree will not endanger your neighbors.
I have been using firecrackers for the past few years. They make my neighbors a little nuts, and the barking dogs, but are very effective. Some times I loose the fight, but I am definitely winning the war. I have cut down thousands of piles of bird feces, to maybe 50 a season. My dog actually gets excited when she sees me reach for the firecrackers to get rid of “the bad birds”. I have shared with all my neighbors on my block with pools. Good luck to all.
Most of these methods are BS! I’ve tried them!
In the past 5 years I’ve had two really dumb neighbors who apparently caught on and stopped feeding the grackles, however it’s too late. I don’t see any beautiful birds anymore and all they do is squawk, shit, and dive-bomb me and my cat. It really is depressing because I live in a neighborhood where some butt-hole neighbor will be too quick to call the police for shooting these “kazarian mafia” pests.
Hi
I TRIED SCREAM FLY OFF MY TREES 12 COMMON GRACKEL BIRDS
CLAPING NOT WORKING GET GRACKEL BIRS OFF MY TREES OUTSIDE MY YARD
HOPE YOU CAN HELP US TWO THANKS HAVE A NICE DAY
Nancy – maybe if you spell GRACKLE correctly, clapping and screaming will work better. They may not understand that spelling. They’re smart, but not that smart.