Magpies: not wanted!
 

We have four young magpies born to our farm who are become pests with a capital P! How do you scare them off safely? We have wonderful yellow finch, purple finch, doves, quail, etc. that we enjoy and feed. We don't want them to go away but if we don't scare off these magpies we won't have any of our deck lined wave petunias blooming and they are beginning to eat off our cherries. Help?

No advice, but agreeing with you - they're a PITA!!! Where we camp every year, we have to be very watchful when putting food on the picnic table. They've been known to fly down and snatch food WHILE we're eating!!!!!!!!

Do you have a air rifle?

Not sure. I will have to ask DH if he has an air rifle. DH just hung up old CDs and it's windy here, so maybe that will work.

What are magpies?

I never thought of old CDs!!! I hang the little tart trays in my peach trees to keep the birds out of them! The CDs are about the same size and a LOT sturdier!!

Magpies are like ravens only black and white. I doubt they'd be afraid of the CD's unless you sat in the yard and threw them at them.

Do you think one of the fake owls would scare them? They have them at Lowe's..

What about those strips of aluminum looking stuff that blows in the wind? Just an idea...no clue where to buy it. What about calling Audubon in your area? We had two dead owls and we called to find out what to do and what would have caused it. They were very helpful. Good luck. Also, the local gardening/tractor supply places are sometimes helpful.

One for Sorrow
Two for Joy
Three for a Girl
Four for a Boy

We don't have Magpie's here in Illinois, but I spotted ONE when in England and my husband yelled "look away", then he told me the rhyme. Every subsequent viewing of the species for me has been a solitary critter ... which apparently is rare as they usually travel in pairs.

Anyway ... husband said if they are eating your fruits you can spray the fruit with Capsicum and they'll stop. As for getting them to leave the area in general ... good luck. They fear very little apparently.