ABSTRACT
Agricultural depredations caused by blackbirds can be managed with various lethal and nonlethal methods, including chemical repellents. For many people, nonlethal chemical repellents represent an appealing approach to managing crop depredation because the depredating birds are targeted but not killed; they are just inconvenienced. An effective repellent application can cause the crop-depredating birds to leave their present feeding site and seek food elsewhere. Where the birds go to feed is immaterial to the producer as long as the birds leave the producer’s field. Thus, an effective repellent application will not likely affect the overall size of the blackbird population, but it may reduce the population associated with depredation and thereby reduce losses within the treated field. As a consequence, nearby crop fields might incur greater damage unless appropriate crop protection measures are employed.136
