The least pleasant thing you might want to see on your boat would be ‘Bird’s Poop.’ Returning back to the boat and finding it full of bird poop is a prevalent and unfortunate situation. If you ever came back to such sight, not only would it take hours of cleaning, but now you are left with some ever-lasting damage as well. So, how do you keep birds from pooping on your boat?
Seabirds’ poop is unlike mammals. It is basically a dark-centered poop with a white sticky addition to it. The white sticky paste is basically uric acid. It, at first, is slightly difficult to clean.
Though even if you successfully got through the job, it can leave white stains behind on the surface. Seabirds’ poop also contains harmful bacteria, including E.coli. That is why, beyond cleanliness, there are reasons why you need to deter birds from your boat.
How to keep birds off pontoon boats?
Keeping seabirds and seagulls off your pontoon boat can be tricky, but it isn’t impossible. While it is all water and flat around, there is nothing better than your boat to perch on.
Birds take it as a high point from where they can spot predators and food quite easily. And going back, they tend to leave their unwanted poop behind.
So, better be sorry for the ruined condition of your boat, follow these tips, and deter birds off. Have a look:
Hang Reflective tapes on the boat
Reflective tapes are one of the best bird deterrent objects. It is basically a 2-inch-wide iridescent foil tape with a holographic pattern upon it.
The holographic pattern reflects brightly under the sun, and this aids in blocking the bird’s vision.
Besides the reflective part, the metallic clatter also appears scary to the birds. That is why birds avoid flying towards or landing on spaces that are protected with reflective tapes.
Invest in a reflective tape roll and hang it on your boat’s spreaders, radar, railing, and other possible areas. Let the other end flap in the air.
Besides Reflective tapes, you can also hang old CDs, aluminum sheets, and old mirrors around. However, the convenience and care-free approach are ideally available with reflective tapes more specifically.
Hang mirror spirals on your boat
Just in case you do not want to break the aesthetics of your boat with reflective tape, go for mirror spirals.
Mirror spirals are small spiral rods made from mirrors. Because they are lightweight, you can hang them easily with any loop.
And unlike they aren’t just a tape going around, but they look quite decorative. From your house patio to your boats, mirror spirals will add an aesthetic appeal to the place.
Take multiple spirals and hang them boat’s spreaders, radar, railing, and other possible areas. Make sure you secure each spiral well, or else the wind will scatter them into small pieces.
If you cannot find hooks easily, fix the spirals using small locking wires. These spirals are mainly 15 to 20 inches long, and you get 6 to 8 or even more pieces in one set.
Place a Few Owl/ Hawks Decoy on your boat.
Birds are scared of owls, and they won’t appear on your property if they notice an owl there already. Thus, considering this fact, invest in a few owl decoys and install them in your boat.
You can keep the number depending upon the size of your boat. Place the owl decoy in places that are easily visible to birds.
Also, invest in the ones that have reflective eyes and moving heads. Remember, birds are super intelligent, and if the owl decoy isn’t moving at all, they will not take it as a threat.
TIP: Keep moving the fake owl’s location and direction frequently for imitating it as real.
How to keep birds from pooping on the dock?
Are you done with birds messing up your private dock with their non-ending poops? If yes, then you need to apply some sort of remedy quickly.
Here are a few bird deterrents and tips that will keep birds away from your dock. Have a look:
- Firstly, keep your dock clean. If birds are frequently landing on your dock, chances are there is something attractive. The things birds may find attractive include food, water, and nesting material. Hence if your dock or its surroundings have any of these, consider getting into a cleaning spree right now.
- Next, cover your dock with bird netting or fish lining.
Or
- Hang bird scare eye or scare balloons across the dock.
Or
- Install an ultrasonic bird deterrent on the dock. Consider installing more of them, depending upon how big the dock is.
How to stop birds from pooping on my window sill?
If the question arises, “Where do birds love perching the most”? one of the top answers would be ‘Window Sills.’
If birds are common in your area and you do not rely on any deterrent, you may notice them perching on your window sill at least once a day. You will scare them off with a sudden sound, but it isn’t the most permanent solution. Instead, try some permanent and long-term reliable methods for stopping birds from sitting and pooping on your window sills. Here we have some ideas, have a look:
- Be it your boat or your house, discourage birds nesting close to the window. Because destroying a nest is unlawful, take the necessary step while birds are just beginning to build one.
- Remove all the food, water, and nesting sources from and around the window.
- Line your window sill with bird spikes. They are easily available on e-commerce platforms and are quite reliable for deterring birds.
- Hang mirror spirals on your window.
- Attach an owl decoy on your window sill. Make sure you move it frequently, or else birds will soon take it as harmless.
- Leave something sticky on your window sills. This will make it difficult for birds to perch there, let alone poop.
- If you see birds on your window, play predator sounds on YouTube.
How to use fishing lines to keep birds away from pooping?
Using fishing lines is one great remedy for keeping birds away from your property. Be it your swimming pool, garden, roof, or patio; you can use it anywhere. Let’s learn how:
- Firstly, build a frame on the four corners of any area you want to attach fishing lines to.
- Now take the fishing line and wrap it all around the four corners. Do not go overboard to form a net, but make sure you do not leave many gaps in between as well.
- Fishing line is inexpensive yet one of the most long-lasting hacks for keeping birds from pooping on your property. It will even hinder the places where birds normally would have loved to sit and rest.
How to keep ducks from pooping on the dock?
Ducks love water, but they often come out on land to rest for a while. That is why your boat launching dock is one of their favorite places to perch. And no matter how beautiful they look on the dock, ducks will ruin it with poop all-around before leaving.
While you can’t get rid of ducks from water, you can get rid of them from the dock. Here is how you can do it:
- If you are feeding ducks on the dock, avoid doing it right away. Instead, choose some other place and feed them directly in the water.
- Place fake animals around the dock, preferably a fake cat or dog.
- Ducks likely avoid swans thus place swan decoy on the dock.
- Place an ultrasonic bird repellent on the dock.
- And if at last nothing works, call a professional for help.
Wrapping up…
Scaring birds away from the boat was always tricky. However, today, when several commercial solutions are available, the task has become easier than ever before.
Also, besides following the above remedies, we recommend you cover your boat with a wax coating. It will behave as an added protection layer that will at least keep bird poop from staining your boat.
Hi, There and Welcome to BirdsNews.com, is here to help you learn and care about pet birds. and this blog is a journal of everything I’ve learned.