wild turkeys scratching up yard

Hi,

I live in Massachusetts and have a problem with wild turkeys scratching up my lawn to get to the bugs they eat. I’m told that the best way to prevent this is to treat the lawn so that the bugs taste bad which will encourage them to move on elsewhere for food. Can you tell me if there is a strong bad tasting agent I can use to keep them away?

In general, birds don’t “taste” like mammals. For this reason, bad tasting agents won’t deter them. But sound can and we have a SOUND REPELLER that works great for this job.

By default, our unit sends out ultra sound. This sound is in a frequency not audible by people but birds will detect it and stay clear where the device is heard.

Each device can cover up to 5,000 sq/ft and the unit will detect motion from up to 50 feet away. Set the unit pointed at the area you need to protect and once in place, birds entering the area will set it off. The sound and light bar will automatically go off which will be more than enough to spook them away and keep the maway.

These units also produce an audible sound. This sound you control. For turkey, we recommend you use that setting by dialing up the volume to at least 20-40 DB. When the unit is activated, having the audible sound kick in (along with the ultra sound which will always go off) is just one more component that will help chase them away and adds to the overall affect.

So in this case, the unit will need to have the Operating Time to “day”, the Ultrasonic set to “Motion Sensor” and the Motion Sensor Sensitivity set at “30” meaning it will activate when birds come within 30-50 feet of the unit.

The Sonic Volume should be set at “20+” (meaning the higher the better) and the frequency (yellow knob) should be in the middle. For repelling turkeys in an area 5,000 sq/ft or less, this setting will work immediately once the unit is placed out.

Units should be placed 1-2 feet above ground and pointed in the direction where turkeys are most active.

For easy installation, MOUNTING BLOCKS are handy. They can accept 1 or 2 repellers (picture to the right) and have a 1/2″ hole on their bottom so they will easily fit over a 1/2″ piece of rebar or any other wood or plastic stake. Ultra Sound Repellers will work fine by themselves as long as you have a good place to set them up. But we highly recommend getting the Units with Mounting Blocks in the kits we offer. Mounting Blocks allow you to place units anywhere and they will save time too.

SOUND REPELLERSOUND REPELLER WITH MOUNTMOUNT ONLYQTY

 

We also feature several accessories for our sound repeller including POWER CORD EXTENDERS (33 FEET AND 66 FEET), CIGARETTE LIGHTER POWER ADAPTER, ALLIGATOR CLIP POWER CORD and AC POWER SUPPLY REPLACEMENTS.

33 FT Ext66 Ft ExtAlligator Clip Power CordCigarette Lighter Power CordAC Power SupplyQTY

 

Now if you have small areas to protect, our GROUND STAKE REPELLERS are a viable option to consider. They’re solar powered, release a combination of sound and vibrations and will make animals close to them uneasy. Commonly used for moles, gophers and snakes, they work on above ground animals like Iguana, snakes and a few birds including turkeys.

Space them out 30 feet apart from one another after giving them a good charge and be sure to use a good EARTH AUGER to make the proper hole size for the stake to be inserted.

These repellers are most commonly used along property borders, where grass meets a mulch or wild area, to keep out unwanted animals. Over the years, they’ve been observed to disturb many birds like cardinals, doves and turkeys – basically any bird that likes to feed on the ground. So they won’t bother birds flying or visiting a bird feeder. But for foraging turkeys that are scratching and digging up the yard, they will chase them off right away. Basically turkeys won’t be willing to take the chance that a predator (something like a fox or coyote) might be sneaking up on them and they won’t notice because of the repeller making its noise.

Units won’t cover nearly as big of an area compared to the model above but are a viable solution for small yards or if you want to install something that’s completely solar powered.

Plan on using one stake per 1,000 sq/ft.

This video is the long, 10 minute presentation in case you’re not yet sold on how these units work or how they can help prevent and keep away unwanted animals like turkey.

 

Setting up these units requires a little “charging” time. They come with a little power because we test them before we send them out. Also, the head will be separated from the bottom stake.

We advise setting the controller head in sunlight for 1-2 days so the battery gets fully charged and ready to go to work. This way they go afield under full power making them best suited to get the job done. For more detailed directions on how to set them up, download our SETUP DIRECTIONS.

 

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One of the most important keys to having success using these devices is to get them inserted properly in the ground. To do this you will need a smooth, well drilled hole for them to fill. The hole must be the proper depth and width. Our SOIL AUGER is perfectly designed for the task. Simply attach it to your favorite hand drill and take it out to the yard for the task at hand.

The following “short video” (less than 60 seconds long) gives you the quick summary of how to use the earth auger.

Holes can be drilled in 10-20 seconds and will be just right. Plan on making the holes about 9 inches deep as units need to be installed so 1-2″ of the stake is above ground. This ensures the head unit stays off the ground.

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