Magpies

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Ouarda

New Bee
Joined
Jul 4, 2010
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Location
Cork County
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
1
Hi Guys, :(

Just had a really nasty thing happen to my girls............5 magpies set on the hive attacking the girls and trying to get in the hive. They were quite aggressive pecking at the roof and sides of the hive as well as trying to get in the entrance.

I know woodpeckers can be a pain but I've never heard of a magpie attack before. Has anybody any advice on what I should do?? :confused: :smash: :smash:
 
Shoot them or trap them then shoot them ;o)
 
They attack anything that moves.
 
i have noticed magpies by my hive as i pull into my smallholding but they always bugger off as soon as i open the gate so i dont see what they are up to, it will be interesting to see replys from the experienced guys and gals.

if their up to no good then it will be a flask of coffie and sit out with the rifle.
 
Only birds i noticed round the hives are tits and robins......very amusing watching them catch the bee's and clearing up the dead one's.
 
thanks for the replies :cheers2:

the traps and shooting are not a problem my other half is a serious hunter so we can get rid of them easily enough :smash::smash: :smilielol5:

I'm more curious about the way they were actally attacking the hive and will this upset the girls enough for them to leave home?
 
I think our local population are still quite occupied enough stealing chicken eggs :(. Our trapping exercises in the Spring pre-nesting were less than successful.
 
I think our local population are still quite occupied enough stealing chicken eggs :(. Our trapping exercises in the Spring pre-nesting were less than successful.

I wouldn`t mind if they stole our eggs. They just seem to peck a hole in them and leave them to drain everywhere.
I put some fishing wire on the pophole door to catch them as they flew in, in the end.
 
Is fish wire legal?

I didn`t snare them with it, I pulled on it to drop the pop hole while they were in there, and then shot them with my air rifle.

Once one gets a taste of eggs the others seem to copy them.
I shot 3 in the spring and had no trouble since.

Darren.
 
Once one gets a taste of eggs the others seem to copy them.

Hi, You could do what my granddad used to do, get one of the eggs and crack it open, with the empty shell fill it with mustard and the use a small piece of cellatape and tape it back together :) then just put it back into the nest box, they wont like the taste of that!!!

Michael
 
Hi, You could do what my granddad used to do, get one of the eggs and crack it open, with the empty shell fill it with mustard and the use a small piece of cellatape and tape it back together :)

Michael

I`d never be able to sell those, lol.
 
I've got a bit of a prob with them, but found out today, a guy has two nests on his alottment. I'm offering my sevices when I see him.
 
I hope everyone advocating shooting and the use of trapping wild birds is aware that their actions may be illegal ?

You need to have a 'general licence' to shoot or trap:
Crow (Carrion) Rook, Magpie, Jackdaw , Jay , Dove (Collared) Pigeon (Feral) Wood Pigeon, Gull (Great Black-Backed) Gull (Herring) Gull (Lesser Black-Backed ).

Cheers
S
 
I hope everyone advocating shooting and the use of trapping wild birds is aware that their actions may be illegal ?

You need to have a 'general licence' to shoot or trap:
Crow (Carrion) Rook, Magpie, Jackdaw , Jay , Dove (Collared) Pigeon (Feral) Wood Pigeon, Gull (Great Black-Backed) Gull (Herring) Gull (Lesser Black-Backed ).

Cheers
S

I have been shooting all my life, been a gamekeeper and met hundreds of shooting folk but have never known anyone to actually apply for the licence, its more a code of conduct sort of thing.

This is from the basc web site,

General licences are issued by government agencies to provide a legal basis for people to carry out a range of activities relating to wildlife. By definition you do not need to apply for general licences but you are required by law to abide by their terms and conditions.

General licences are renewed annually in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These general licences are made available on the websites of the relevant government agencies and include those general licences relevant to the all year round control of ‘pest birds’ such as magpie and woodpigeon. Control methods allowed under general licence may include shooting, the destruction of eggs and nests, and the use of larsen traps and multi-catch traps.
 

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