www.cityofangelsconservation.weebly.comLos Angeles CADavid HarveyCheers!Here's a link from the Winterthur Museum blog on their experiences. You may want to give them a call.Here's a link for natural repellants you can try.As a conservator I am not a fan of applying things to the surfaces of historic sculptures, but if it keeps the piece from being chewed it's less of a problem ultimately. I guess my first question is whether the lead sculpture has to remain outdoors? Moving it inside is the best solution, otherwise you may have to spend a lot of time dealing with the issues that having it outdoors brings.Lana,Some of the solutions may include trapping the squirrels, apply cayenne paste to the sculpture, or using other repellants. But squirrels can be very persistent.
This is a pretty common problem with outdoor lead sculptures and also architectural lead.
http://www.ask.com/question/do-it-yourself-squirrel-repellent
http://gardenblog.winterthur.org/2011/07/27/squirrels-and-sculpture/
Dave
Senior Conservator and Museum Consultant
On Mon, Jun 9, 2014 at 11:47 AM, Lana Dubin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hi all,I was wondering if anyone had experience with squirrels nibbling outdoor lead sculptures. The statue was cast long before lead and lead paint required bittering agents, and the squirrels are apparently enjoying the sculpture as a sweet treat. We have tried fox urine and other scent detractors around the sculpture with no success. Our next step is rabbit blood but before we go down that morbid route I was hoping someone knew of a bittering agent or other substance that will deter the squirrels without damaging the sculpture. Has anyone else had this problem? Thank you for your help!Lana Dubin
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