Raccoons skunks and pesky critters love to rummage through garbage cans at night, causing a mess for the homeowners and collectors. Likewise, beekeepers live in perpetual fear of bears seeking a sweet treat or frames of larvae within their hives. in a single visit, a bear can ruin an entire season's worth honey and destroy hives with powerful claws and teeth.

Pepper powders and pastes might applied to the outside surface of trash connectors or beehives might deter some of these pests, but can wash off in rain or create a messy residue. Also, they aren't delivered to the attacker selectively. Something that sprays Fire-alarm levers anti-theft tags and bank security dye packs hold their contents safely or spray staining dyes over a wider area. with a small explosive charge, party poppers send streamers out into the air for celebrations. A similar combination could propel a powder or fluid containing capsicain powder towards varmints invading trash cans or beehives.

Each pest pepper popper would be a plastic cylindrical case 3-5 cm in diameter and contain a small sodium azide gas charge like a car airbag. in front of the charge, the pepper composition would be arranged to disperse when the charge triggers. a mechanical or electronic trigger would ignite the charge when the outer surface is depressed. When a varmint tries to open the trash can or beehive and triggers the popper, they'll be covered in pepper powder and frightened by the loud snap. Also, anyone nearby will hear the pop and know that it's gone off.

Each charge would be individually packaged in a protective case and protected with a removable arming pin to prevent premature triggering. each cylinder would be brightly colored and inscribed with a warning for trash collectors or the curious.

To install the charge, a user would remove the pest pepper popper from its protective blister pack, remove an adhesive backing, and stick it to a surface. then they would remove the arming pin, and walk away, more confident that they wouldn't have a trail of trash to pick up after or a broken beehive to replace.
-- squirrelecule, Jul 26 2010

empty party poppers empty_20party_20poppers
pick peppers as payload [squirrelecule, Jul 26 2010]

Pepperbag Shotgun Shells Pepperbag_20Shotgun_20Shells
now in trap form [squirrelecule, Jul 26 2010]

Cribbing, Sucking Air, and Other Nasty Habits... http://www.extensio...rmal_Horse_Behavior
What, that nag? No, he ain't MY horse... [Grogster, Jul 26 2010]

Anyone who has ever built a set of wooden corrals for horses knows that if you don't paint a layer of hot Tabasco, cayenne pepper, etc. on the boards the horses will get bored and start chewing on them (it is a very nasty habit for them to get into, known as "cribbing"). [link] This can actually ruin the horses teeth.

Bottom line, all manner of HOT spices are effective on critters. If the idea stopped there, I'd say it was already baked. But, it doesn't stop there, so bun for innovative payload packaging. [+]
-- Grogster, Jul 26 2010


This has been Baked by dismantling a LeMaitre theatrical pyrotechnic "confetti pot" and replacing the confetti with a mixture of pepper and chilli powder.

The device is then deployed by a hole in the hedge and activated remotely by command wire when a cat passes by.

100% successful.
-- 8th of 7, Jul 26 2010



random, halfbakery