Needs some ideas please. Am looking for some sort of motion sensor or body heat sensor that I can mount over an open window.
We have 2 troupes of vervet monkeys that travel through our property each day. They are a pleasure to watch, so I don't want to scare them away, but they do have a habit of wanting to climb in open windows. You have no idea how badly they can trash a house if they get inside searching for food ! We sometimes have a gathering of around 50 sitting in the garden feeding off the mangoes, wild beans, etc.
The windows are the main concern, as we leave these open 24/7/365. My thinking was a small sensor mounted above each window which, when activated, will trigger an adjacent compressed air jet that would deter them from climbing through the opening. This would cause no harm to the monkey, but would startle them enough to move away from the window.
Any suggestions on the type of sensor to use ? With 15 open windows, would need something reasonably priced, as I will have to install a sensor & jet at each window.
Have already tried using rubber snakes, but they soon figure out they are not real by throwing small stones at them to see if they move.
What a great problem!
How about a laser pointer with mirrors zig zaging a mesh of beam across the open window with a sensor at the end. Any entry will block the beam and you can do your thing.
If these primates are smart enough to figure the difference between a real and plastic snake, I think there's scope for training them, like vacuuming the carpet or cleaning the bathroom, in return for rewards.
What about using PIR sernsors? You can pick them up pretty cheaply, less than £5 each. You could also use ultrasonic snesors on a pan servo and have them trip when an object was detected at say 30 cm away.
Sounds like a fun project!
AWOL:
If these primates are smart enough to figure the difference between a real and plastic snake, I think there's scope for training them, like vacuuming the carpet or cleaning the bathroom, in return for rewards.
May be possible, but I just don't fancy monkeying around
I think it would end up looking like a scene from The Jungle Book.
I'm sure they were a delight for the first few days.
Bit like the collection of ducks at a place we were staying at, we though it was neat, until we stepped in the mess....and this was each day.
Since they worked out the snake...how do you know they won't use your compressed air to dry themselves, or do their hair.
Mental picture of 100 mokeys lining up at the windows to dry and pamper themselves....
You could also look at infra red detectors across the window frame (like shop minders across the door).
The better ones are pulsed to stop the ambient light issues, but if you use a tube it ,limits the problem.
You can use a reflector on the other side, and incorporate it in the compressed air gun.
Is there a high frequncy noise they don't like, that you could blast them with. ?? Teenagers don't like the mosquito noise that was successful in England to stop them hanging around shops.
I have a wavefile but I can't hear it unless its up real loud and then I end up with two teenagers with hands over their ears telling me to turn it off.
Would an electric fence unit and wire across where it opens also stop them.??
