We have two bushes front and back with dark green spiky leaves that produce masses of blue berries at this time of the year.
Birds eat them and then proceed to excrete purple droppings. They can ruin a carpet if it gets inside the house.
I want to fit deterents to my gutters in the direct line of fire.
I see spikes advertised but no indication as to how they are affixed.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Glue, probably?
The profile of a gutters is downward pointing "D" shape. If the base of the spike is flat, gluing would really work.
What makes you think this will deter them?
I think a better approach is to provide some kind of perch or roosting site which is more attractive. Maybe ask the rspb? They may know the species which eat the things in the first place, and their needs. Brian
12 bore
Long cable ties?
Up behind the gutter and over the spike base.
i) I think the OP has already got a good knowledge of what eats the berries.
ii) Providing a second perching place is not going to work if the birds actually prefer their original perch without deterrents. They would probably use both.
There are gutter guards, flat rigid plastic netting that fixes with some kind of clip. That may form a secure enough base to attach the spikes. It also keeps leaves out of the gutter.
Cutting down the bushes ??
You can replace them with a miniature that does not have fruit on it.
Your garden center will have various items in pots, which you can buy and plant. And that might be cheaper than fitting gutter-guards. Just make sure to check the tag on the item, to see what dimensions it has fully grown. Many claims of "miniature", are not really all that miniature when they finish growing.
Paul
Remove the berries manually.
Many years ago I moved to a new housing estate. The postman and others would trample across a gap in the trees ruining my tiny grass patch.
I bought an additional bush that was promised to be "miniature" to fill the gap.
When I left two years ago, it had a trunk that was 18 inches in diameter and a height of 60 feet!
Alan
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WE use whatt is called a hedgehog brush to keep leaves out of the gutter. It would also be useful to discourage perching birds
I just learned about 'Tower of Jewels'!
I currently have three items in my garden, purchased from different sources, each coming with a tag detailing the plant/shrub variety, it's height/spread etc. and have found a couple of years later that what was written on the tag was bollox. They were all purchased as climbing plants but selected for their flowers and fragrance. They have all climbed but none of the flowers are the correct colour, size and none of them are fragrant (at any time).
Just removed mine, it's in good nick and free to collect, near Fordingbridge.
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