Four noisy Magpies living in garden, now they have started coming into house!

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rustbucket

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Have four of them living somewhere in the garden. Normally dont mind them (despite the noise out of them) but now they have started trying to come into the house.

Any time a window is open they try to get in and a couple have times they have come into the kitchen when the back door is open (even for just a few seconds).

Has anyone any suggestions on how to deter them?
 
Magpies are very smart. They will make "friends" with cats and dogs, and humans including even playing with them. Coming into the kitchen is probably a sign of how comfortable they feel, and they are inveterate opportunists prepared to grab a meal if they spot a chance. I have one or two who eat out of the cat's bowl at the kitchen door, if I give em a chance. I just chase em off. But their cheekiness is sometimes funny and other times annoying!
 
A Jack Russell will do the trick - ours is trained to chase crows, magpies and postmen
 
bertson said:
A Jack Russell will do the trick - ours is trained to chase crows, magpies and postmen
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:D Second that. Magpies are cheeky and will steal shiny objects also. So unless you are prepared to put up with their impish behaviour you should make sure they know you are the enemy, in which case they will move elsewhere.

They are like Ozzie backpackers, once you encourage them, they'll keep on turning up on your doorstep.
 
My mother had issue with them last year... she has a dog, even the dog got bored of chasing them away from his food... so a simple thing, just trap one in a cage (wouldn't say box as the other magpies won't see it)... outside in the garden... leave it for a while... once it's not in danger of being eaten by dog / cat... then leave it go free again... did that once & they haven't "hung" around again... they appear now & again (don't know if it's the same one or not).

And before I get slated on this... the bird wasn't harmed, bird didn't get too agitated, didn't do itself harm & I was there all the time, ready to leave it go if needed to...
 
Use reflective materials to scare the magpies. You could try hanging old cd's on the outside of the window.
 
dewdrop said:
If OP is superstitious i think 4 magpies is for a birth!!
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One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy, five for silver six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told...

There is a lot more less well known.
 
One of our cats did catch and kill a magpie; feathers all over the driveway.. But it did not deter the magpies.
 
rustbucket said:
Why would a reflective item scare them? I thought they liked shiny things?
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They don't like the erratic movements of the CDs hanging. Balloons have the same effect.

Also, they don't like the smell of marigolds (flowers, not gloves), so planting them in the garden will deter them.
 
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