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just been to check on my van after the harsh december, its in storage , so not been up since last september.

no probs inside, no damp, or burst pipes etc.

but. on checking around the outside, i noticed the mastic at the top corners of the front windows alloy sealing strips, and the corner awning rail, the mastic was pecked away.

deffinately birds as i can see the beak marks.

i had re-mastic'ed these rails before last summer and the mastic was still flexible.

could they be using it for their nests or summat?

i'll have to go up tomorrow to reseal the gaps as its down to the ally body.

anybody seen this before.

stu

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   There was some suggestion it tends to be mainly pigeons

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 hmmm.?  i would have thought it would be smaller birds as theres not much for large ones to cling onto as the rail is at 45 degrees. but possible i suppose.

trouble is they could just peck the new mastic out, maybe i could paint over the mastic with a clear varnish or summat.

cheers

stu

HI Stu,

Mastic, in its basic form, is an aromatic resin harvested as a spice from the Mastic trees of the mediterranean. One of its uses (apart from in the bonding of caravans) is to flavour cakes pastries and desserts and liquors (the drink Mastichato for example). If, like us, Turkish Delight is popular in the house over Christmas then you will have eaten some during the festivities.

The Mastic Trail in Grand Cayman is a nature reserve (containing a variety of Mastic trees) in which you can find flycatchers, woodpeckers, and warblers which also visit the UK. So, if you just think of your mastic as an aromatic spice you can perhaps understand why it would attract birds. Migrants will feed from the tree before their return to the UK. Birds will eat the mastic whilst it is wet, and digestible, and in the case of the mastic used in bonding materials, those which include sand are, apparently more popular with birds. Overpainting can prevent birds from pecking at the material, or use a faster setting material, or just hang around until it sets to scare the birds off

Phil

Some of our experts have commented on this thread as to the right type of paint to be using

painting the van

Phil

Blue Tits in particular like the linseed oil in putty. Once the putty is in place brush the window frame with a compound containing aluminium ammonium sulphate. B&Q sell an animal repellant which does the trick. Keeps the cats away as well.

You may find birds pecking at the putty once it has set and that may be down to the fact that insects have been caught in it whilst it was setting.

Phil

Cheers Paul...its not just  a message board...its and education...

Phil

Cheers Paul...its not just  a message board...its and education...

Cheers Paul...its not just  a message board...its an education...

Now write that out 20 times, and no copying.

Richard.