Bloomington crows create winter cleaning dilemma

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Monroe County officials face a slippery dilemma as they try to clean up the mess left by hundreds of crows that gather in downtown Bloomington.

If they spray the sidewalks with water in freezing weather, they'll create a hazard. So, do they buy an ice solvent to use on sidewalks after regular winter cleanings or leave the birds' droppings untouched and risk complaints?

"It puts us in the position, here we're trying to stay out of wasting too much county money and keep people safe," Monroe County building maintenance supervisor Jerry Appleberry said. "We don't like people complaining. We're the first ones here in morning, and believe me, we're ducking trying to keep from getting bird poop on our heads."

The number of crows spending the winter downtown has increased over the past five years, The Herald-Times reported (http://bit.ly/1vSe1x4 ). Workers have placed seven fake owls in trees around the courthouse to scare away the crows, and Appleberry has tried ringing the courthouse bell to scatter them.

But the birds have stayed put.

"The birds are outsmarting us," Appleberry said.

This week, the county installed an audible bird deterrent, which periodically emits sounds of predator birds. The system, which cost about $200, could take several weeks to show results.

"We are fighting nature, and nature always finds a way of winning," said Angie Purdie, administrator for the county commissioners.

Purdie said recent rainstorms have washed away some of the mess, making sidewalk spray-downs mostly unnecessary. And business owners say they haven't noticed a decline in business.

But Appleberry, who said the courthouse dome resembles a scene from the movie "The Birds," is willing to listen to any public ideas to safely shoo the winged nuisances away.

"We're more than happy to take any kind of advice right now that's legal," he said

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Information from: The Herald Times, http://www.heraldtimesonline.com