Recently we had e-mails from people asking, "What's the problem with
propane cannons?" As a result of these letters we added this page to the web
site to explain the magnitude of the issue.
First, propane cannons are loud, very loud. Annoying devices like leaf
blowers generate noise at levels up to 75 or 80 decibels. Boom cars can be
louder, some even up to 100 decibels. But propane cannons can be as loud as 130
decibels. They blow away their opposition, hands down.
Second, you have no control over the noise. In British Columbia where
cannons are regulated, they start at 6:30 AM. and blast away all day long until
8:00 PM. In areas without regulations farmers operate their cannons from dawn
to dusk. Propane cannons emit a noise like a shot gun blast, at 120 - 130
decibels, and at my home we average two blasts per minute. Some of our members
hear up to six blasts per minute. The berry season stretches from late June,
through to October, and you have to listen to this noise day after day. Is the
magnitude of the problem starting to sink in yet?
What is really frustrating is that propane cannons are totally
unnecessary. In British Columbia, the BC Blueberry Council swear by their
cannons, and cannon defenders at the Ministry of Agriculture state that cannons
are a necessary tool for blueberry growers, however no one in these
organizations have ever studied their effectiveness. Their views are simply
hearsay.
There are groups who have studied the effectiveness of cannons, and most agree
that cannons are only marginally effective and that birds become habituated to
the noise very quickly (within days) and then the cannons become ineffective.
These are the conclusions of Transport Canada who have studied bird scare
devices to prevent bird strikes at airports. Other studies in New Zealand,
Australia and the UK reached similar conclusions. (We will be adding links to
these studies to our web site in the near future.)
There is little proof that the devices actually work, and there are many viable
alternatives. Our
Alternatives & Solutions
web page lists over a dozen silent alternatives that could be used. But cannon
users have the mentality of boom car owners. Loud is good! So louder and more
blasts per minute must be even better!!
There is some relief in site. Early in 2008 the Minister of Agriculture in
BC is going to review the noise issues caused by propane cannons. You can read
more about this on our
News Web Page
If you live in the BC Okanagan Valley, the Fraser Valley, the Niagara
Peninsula, the Napa Valley in California, and who knows how many other areas,
and you are bothered by propane cannons, send us an e-mail. We would like to
hear from you, share experiences, and maybe publicize your story on our site.
