If you thought you'd seen every idea possible to chase away or eliminate pest birds, you'll be interested in this new idea from "down under" in Australia.

The idea is simple and many other people have probably tried it. What Tinsley Beck did was to run strands of ordinary electric fence wire up over fruit trees, buildings and crops that he wanted to protect from birds. The problem with the idea is that if you just run a single "hot wire", the birds won't feel a thing because they won't be grounded. What Beck did was to run two wires close togther, one of them hot and the other one grounded. They're so close together -- less than an inch apart -- that when a bird lands, their feet hit both wires and they get zapped.

Once Beck realized the idea would work, he had to come up with a practical way to string the wires so they'd be close but wouldn't touch. What he came up with is a product called "Insulbird".

They're insulated plastic connectors that easily snap onto both wires, holding them close. Beck installs them every 3 to 6 ft. Insulbirds are made from long-lasting UV stabilized high density plastic.

"We've found that in many cases, installing a single pair of wires over a particular problem area is enough to solve a bird problem. One or two shocked birds are often enough to keep a whole community of birds away from the danger area. They communicate with each other," says Beck.

The positioning of the wires depends on what's being protected and what type of birds you're dealing with. Each situation is different. In an orchard, for example, Beck recommends trying a pair of wires along the edge and then one set every 60 ft. or so. Even if you have to put them closer, he notes, it's still cheaper than netting.

To set up, you simply use conventional electric fence wire and energizers. The ground wire can be anchored to a stake in the ground or a spike driven into a tree.

"You'll have success with this idea anywhere birds are a problem -- barns, feedlots, crops, boats, fish ponds, etc.," says Beck, who has set up a company to market Insulbird clips.