UPDATE In March, Inside Towers reported on the use of specially-designed pyrotechnics to scare away turkey vultures roosting in a cell tower in a non-lethal manner. In Greenville, in addition to roosting on the tower, vulture roosting has spilled over to homes, where the birds walk on roofs and harass neighbors trying to get their mail or greet visitors, reported the Herald-Banner.
After using the technique for about a month, Greenville Animal Control had to temporarily stop using the pyrotechnics due to the onset of the vultures’ egg-laying season, reported the Herald-Banner.
Because of their protected status, it’s against federal law to harass the birds during this time and also illegal to kill them any time of year. Due to the hiatus, “The vultures are back,” said Mary Jane Vance, whose 88-year-old sister lives adjacent to the tower. “The pyrotechnics worked for a while, but now that they had to stop, the vultures are coming back to the tower.”
Once the vultures’ nesting season ends, typically in August, animal control will resume using the pyrotechnics. For the first month, they’ll set them off near the tower daily around dusk and then use them once or twice per week afterward, according to the Herald-Banner.
June 24, 2019
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