That’s a question for this week from a recent article in the Washington Post about an invasion, of sorts, of crows in Tokyo. While crows pose no significant problems in the United States, the birds from the suburbs of Tokyo, and now in the city, are larger and more aggressive, even pecking through fiber optic cords and power lines. The more significant problem with the crows in Tokyo is their scavenging nature, typical of many birds, but, in this case, the larger birds are pecking through garbage bags and going through the contents – much like a raccoon but with wings. According to this article, the solution Tokyo has decided in regards to garbage is to put a tarp over it.
But how effective is this strategy, which is simply laying a blue medium-duty tarp over a few garbage bags? As with any type of tarp cover, the material needs to be secured to be fully effective. As mentioned in many blog posts, when a tarp isn’t secured properly by bungee cords through the grommets, the tarp can blow off or allow water or small animals in. For the garbage bags, unless the surrounding tarps are secured by bungee cords through the grommets, the tarp is ineffective in preventing the crows from going under the tarp and accessing the garbage.
What are some solutions to this problem? One solution found by the city in regards to restaurant garbage is to collect it in the evening before the crows get to it during the day. Another solution would be, for residential garbage, to use a garbage can with a lid on it. Picking up garbage with a blue tarp and having to remove a tied tarp is a useless and time-consuming strategy for those collecting garbage but, when a garbage can is used, the lid should be heavy enough for a crow not to lift it off and access the contents.
