Now is the time to prepare for the arrival of the Osprey for the spring nesting season.

Every year, Ospreys begin their trek back to the areas that they nest after spending the winter in warmer climates. Many of the raptors fly thousands of miles each year just to lay eggs and raise their young. Unfortunately, not all survive their nesting season due to where they build their nests.

Utility poles are the perfect nesting areas, due to no leaves, limbs or other obstacles that restrict their vision to hunt and watch out for predators. The bad news for the birds are, that they know nothing about electricity and the dangers that await them.

Every year, Osprey nests start fires killing their young, destroying utility poles, shutting down power for customers costing thousands of dollars. Some nest on traffic cameras in Maryland, or on the steel of a bridge that is being constructed, shutting down the work for more than two months.

In South Carolina last year, an Osprey wanted to build a nest on top of a utility pole along side of Hwy 41. Several attempts to deter them by using traffic cones and eventually the Ospreys lost the nest.

One way to prepare for the nest building season, which begins in March and runs through April in most areas, is to install the “OFF”-Sprey Raptor Deterrent .

The “OFF”-Sprey Raptor Deterrent is a very simple device that blocks the access to the utility poles (Ospreys are very claustrophobic) not allowing them to drop limbs and other nest making material on top of the poles. You can see how it works in this video. The video shows the basic model, however there are other models to fit any situation you might encounter and can be customized to fit your specific needs.

Plays on YouTube

Installing the “OFF”-Sprey Raptor Deterrent is about as simple as it gets. Once you purchase the device you can request a link to an install video where you can see  it takes about 10 minutes to do a full install. The video shows the typical wood pole installation, but can be also installed on concrete or steel poles with available banding.

The main thing to remember when installing the “OFF”-Sprey is that you must get the height from the pole to the arms of the device at the correct distance. If you don’t get the right distance, you must make adjustments for it to work correctly. Also, be mindful when installing that the wood on the utility pole is not punky or rotted. You may have to use straps instead of screws to attach the device.

Below is a graphic showing the process for planning where you will need to install your device.

The best way to prevent injury and death to Ospreys, and loss of power and money to utilities is to plan early and be as tenacious as the birds themselves.

For more information or to order the “OFF”-Sprey Raptor Deterrent please contact Power Supply Company LLC at (423)624-7330

Website: www.offsprey.com

Email: off-sprey@hotmail.com .

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