Been reading thru all these suggestions and have to comment on waxing traps. I know a long time trapper that says leave the traps as they are after catching and dispatching a predator. I can't stomach it so do hose the trap off which I'm sure doesn't remove the scent from dispatched animal. Kenny says the nastier the better. I've used the flashing night lights and had raccoons climb up and over the light trying to enter the bird pens. They did nothing for me but have to say I enjoy seeing them flashing, LOL!!! My pens are built like forts so nothing can get in. That works for me. Costly but worth it in the long run. I use 1/2 x 1" welded wire up to 2x4" non-climb horse fencing but add chicken wire over the 2x4". I also use 1x1" and 1x2" welded wire. I have a village of pens with a huge courtyard pen in the center with height of 12 feet. I can rotate letting my birds out into the courtyard putting them back into their pens before dark using healthy treats. My pens are all 8 to 10 feet high. Most are 10x30 feet. 5 aren't quite that large. All have roof and walls on end of pen for shelter. I have 10 pens in all plus the huge 12' high courtyard in the center. ALSO have a nice large predator proof house with attached run for the swans to stay in nights. They use a yard with water trough during the day with 8 foot fence. The perimeter of my bird village mentioned above has 2 to 3 feet of fencing wire attached to building or fencing laid out on ground buried so nothing can dig under to gain entrance. My birds are all safe. I can sleep nights. Does anyone know where heavier gauge chicken wire can be bought? Standard is 20 gauge but I've found 16, 17 and 18 gauge. https://www.louispage.com/wire-netting/hexagonal-gaw
Look under "Netting and Mesh".
Look under "Netting and Mesh".