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Jan 16, 3:45 AM EST Tempe tries to deter foul fowl TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Fed up with a wealth of droppings, the city of Tempe has upped its efforts to chase away messy birds this winter. Steve Amelotte, Tempe's arborist, said he has noticed the bird population has lowered about 30 percent from a year ago. That's a big drop for one year, he figures. And Amelotte hopes persistence can lead to similar drops every year. "Each year, if I can cut back on the number of birds 25 or 30 percent, then we'll be ahead of the game," he said. Although ficus trees that line popular Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe were planted in the 1980s, the dirty birds have only become a problem in the last few years. In an effort to deter the foul fowl, Amelotte has tried thinning the trees by 25 percent in the fall and 10 percent in the spring, applying a slippery substance to the trees to make them harder to perch on, and installing speakers that emit predatory bird sounds and ultrasonic noise. Combined, it all cost about $1,500. Amelotte said he doesn't and won't use anything that might kill the birds. |