Journal

Life on the balcony

Squirrels in the planters, pigeons on the railing, a neighbour’s cat on the patio. Short guides on what actually keeps them away without hurting them, with sources, and notes from building BalconyPatrol.

• Guide · 2 minHow to keep squirrels off your balcony plantsFresh potting mix, a few spilled seeds and a pot of tulip bulbs: to a squirrel, your balcony is a pantry with no lock.
• Guide · 3 minHow to keep raccoons off your balconySpilled soil in the morning, and nobody saw a thing.
• Guide · 3 minHow to see which wildlife visits your balconySmall holes, tipped pots or droppings on the railing: the clues, the hours and where to point a camera.
• Guide · 2 minMore than a repeller: how BalconyPatrol comparesA repeller scares whatever moves, your cat included. A camera shows you the damage afterwards.
• Guide · 2 minSquirrel repellents compared: what actually worksEvery garden centre has an aisle of squirrel repellents, and most of them work for about a week.
• Guide · 4 minHow to get rid of pigeons on your balconyPigeons come back for three things: food, a comfortable perch and a sheltered corner to nest in.
• Guide · 2 minHow to keep stray cats away and your own cat safeThey dig in your pots, spray your planters and pick fights with your cat.
• Story · 2 minA camera that looks away from peopleA camera on your balcony will see you watering the plants, your kids at the door and the neighbours across the street.
• Story · 2 minBuilt for outdoorsOne small battery and a solar panel the size of a postcard, on a north-facing balcony, through a Canadian winter.
• Guide · 3 minA neighbour’s cat is spraying your patio. What now?Keeping a visiting cat away gets more complicated when your own cat uses the same patio.