Waikato farmer Paul Matthews spent years battling exactly this problem. The birds in his area would constantly leave droppings all over his tractor which, if left, would eventually turn to rust. He was also worried about the hay and dry grass potentially causing a fire.
“I’ve tried using a shotgun to get rid of them in the past,” Paul says.
“But you have to hang around a long time.”
Paul started using Wingo when it originally came out three years ago, and still swears by it today. He applies the gel to the top of the mirrors, the hydraulic hoses, along the crest of the bonnet and anywhere the birds sit on his tractor.
“I started using it about three years ago and it really works.
“There’s a constant stream of birds here so it’s ongoing. The birds will come back pretty quickly when you clean it off so I always make sure there’s some there.”
Wingo contains only vegetable-based gel oil, pepper and cinnamon to deter birds for up to two years in covered areas. Birds don’t like the feel of the gel oil on their claws while the sharp taste of pepper further alerts the birds to danger. The cinnamon smell then acts as the reminder that the gel is still active, effectively deterring the birds long-term.
“It’s ideal for applying little bits as you need,” Tony Overbeek, farmer and manufacturer of Wingo, explains.
“I’ve always got a tube of Wingo ready to go in the caulking gun. It doesn’t seem to matter how long it’s been left unused, the gel always squirts out as good as new.”
Tractor fires are a very real and totally preventable risk for farmers. After receiving more than 170 tractor fire claims in just four years, FMG has become very proactive with educating farmers about the risk and ways to prevent tractor fires.
Their website campaign advises farmers to “Stop and Pop” because “birds are speedy builders and can make a start on a nest in the time it takes you to have your lunch, so remember to take a look each and every time you use your tractor.”
