Bird control methods

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

What would I use?

I would first use the Fake Snake and the CDs on a string first as they are cheap, movable, and may work and would be easy to remove and stow when I am ready to sail. No smell or decaying animal to keep or stow.

Then move to "real dead bird" next (if one can find a dead bird), if the Fake Animals don't work.

But, for some spots, or if the other items don't work, I think some of the bird barrier spikes (as in video) would do the trick very effectively, either temporarily or some more permanent installs. I am thinking of on a radar/solar arch, but some might want to consider them on a spreader too. If the boat is on a mooring, and left for longer time, rather than have my boat look like a guano collection point (see the photo I posted earlier) I would use these spike strips on some removable lengths of plastic strips that would be temporarily fixed (with a tie) to the boom or elsewhere the birds are landing/perching. Then remove them when not needed (e.g. when going sailing) and leave them for next time.

This is a video of a product (bird barrier spikes) that are easy to use on structures. The video even shows them on top of a boat radar radome. This is what was on the overhang of my art gallery building front, it was very effective at keeping pigeons off the front of my building (they would fly to my neighbor's building to land/poop).

The strips are made of Plastic with some thin stainless steel wire "pins" or "spikes."

Once installed they are not noticeable, or less noticeable and objectionable than guano.

Guano stinks! I lived in an apartment where pigeons would come roost and poop on the patio of the apartment above me. The smell was horrible, like a bad day at a zoo. My apartment patio was protected by a black cat.

Those things are often seen around on buildings. But on a boat? Sail boat?

I don't want to be spending time removing things so I can go sailing and I also don't wsnt things up permanently that are going to catch sails or ropes.

[iancoombe]

Condoms condoms condoms, can't stress this enough, oops just re read it "bird" control.

[rwidman]

A friend of mine put some of these on his bimini top:



The birds just hopped over it.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Those things are often seen around on buildings. But on a boat? Sail boat?

I don't want to be spending time removing things so I can go sailing and I also don't wsnt things up permanently that are going to catch sails or ropes.

I understand.

But, obviously you don't have a BAD bird problem that requires extreme measures. And, to me, removing some temporary strips of Bird Deterrents (of any style) is just as easy as taking off a sail cover or winch cover or hatch cover or fenders off or getting a boat ready for sailing.

If made properly and attached with easy to remove attachments, I would much rather spend 10 minutes stowing the bird deterrents, rather than dealing with the stink and mess of guano on the boat. I imagine many guano droppings will take much longer to clean off, especially if the poop has been on for more than a few hours.

A few poops is no big deal.

THIS on the other hand, is a big problem, at least it would be for me.

YMMV

[JPA Cate]

newt,

I think you're right about the primitive brain business. In RC's case one dessicated bird has given long term protection. Our friend uses a feather duster hoisted to the first spreader by the flag halyard line effectively.

I wonder how few feathers it would take? Like, could I just collect a handful of feathers while out walking, tie them together, and hoist them and would it work? Birds rarely come on my boat, but maybe someone could do an experiment who does have a bird problem, like the guy with the peregrine falcon? I'd rather pick up feathers than handle a dead bird, myself, though the sight of the dead bird, intact, is probably the best deterrent.

Cruisers are easily amused.

Ann

[Steve Bean]

Here in Monterey a few years ago there was a small motorboat on a mooring that had a plastic hawk- looking bird tethered to a pole. The slightest breeze made it dart and swoop back and forth very actively. I don't know if it kept birds off, but it was fun to watch...

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

I understand.

But, obviously you don't have a BAD bird problem that requires extreme measures. And, to me, removing some temporary strips of Bird Deterrents (of any style) is just as easy as taking off a sail cover or winch cover or hatch cover or fenders off or getting a boat ready for sailing.

If made properly and attached with easy to remove attachments, I would much rather spend 10 minutes stowing the bird deterrents, rather than dealing with the stink and mess of guano on the boat. I imagine many guano droppings will take much longer to clean off, especially if the poop has been on for more than a few hours.

A few poops is no big deal.

THIS on the other hand, is a big problem, at least it would be for me.

YMMV

im not sure why you think it's 'obvious'? If you read my OP you will see I did have a real problem, and given that was just over a two week period, my problem was going to be pretty much a significant problem.

Do yourself a favour, try the dead bird thing. There no smell and from 20 meters it just looks like a few feathers on board.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

I understand.

But, obviously you don't have a BAD bird problem that requires extreme measures. And, to me, removing some temporary strips of Bird Deterrents (of any style) is just as easy as taking off a sail cover or winch cover or hatch cover or fenders off or getting a boat ready for sailing.

If made properly and attached with easy to remove attachments, I would much rather spend 10 minutes stowing the bird deterrents, rather than dealing with the stink and mess of guano on the boat. I imagine many guano droppings will take much longer to clean off, especially if the poop has been on for more than a few hours.

A few poops is no big deal.

THIS on the other hand, is a big problem, at least it would be for me.

YMMV

Perhaps you have never had to deal with cormorant poop. It sets like concrete.

[s/v Beth]

In our marina, just by accident we have a number of bald eagles nesting in a tree about a half of mile from us. We have one young eagle that is not very good at hunting. He regularly comes over and tries to get a duck or other small waterfowl and maims them, but does not get a hold of them well enough to bring them back to his tree. So we have dead birds around. And no bird poop on my deck.
Anybody want to take up falconry?

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

I am late to this thread, but I think I have found something as effective as a dead bird- we put this up the mast:
Amazon.com : Bird-X SE-PAC Scare Eye Balloon, Pack of 3 : Bird Scare Devices : Patio, Lawn & Garden
You can get three for under 10 usd if you shop around. Fully inflated they only last a season or so, but we have a under inflated in our back yard, it has been there for 3 years not and still going strong. No birds will come close.
We have also tied Aluminum pie tins with a bright ribbon up, they seem to work as well although they are constantly a little noisy.

YES.....they work!

Installed on a pole over my boat awning. NO more bird crap!!!! I had every bird you can imagine including great blue herons (which leave MASSIVE schits) constantly crapping on my canvas and dock. I had swallows, dozens at a time, all lined up on my railings taking a daily communal dump. It was a problem which became progressively worse over the years...and now thanks to these scary eye balloons....no mas.

Fingers crossed it lasts.

[rgleason]

We used the acrylic spikes for buildings on top of our radar. Have taken it off now and no problems anymore.

Now we have used a line 6" above the boom with secondary lines every 3' draped to tie with an overhand knot on the lifelines. Then loose lines forward and back. Have had that for over 15 years after massive attacks where 2 week old quano required soaking, vinigar and massive amounts of scrubbing and water to get off. Had had no problems since the bird lines. They do not like loose lines and will not land.

We also see ribbons of loose mylar about 3'-2' long working very well on docks and remote floats.

The Owl and cd's tied various places did not work.

[Rustic Charm]

All that activity of tying things on, blowing up balloons and all the rest. Meantime, I'm on my second year now with no birds. Don't need to put anything up, don't have to pull anything down to go sailing. Don't need to do anything at all and the birds don't come anywhere near me.

[rgleason]

You are lucky they have not had a 2 week party on your boat. All it takes is a couple of minnows or a stray fish jumping into your cockpit.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by savoir

Stretch a couple of strings above each spreader.

In Blind Bay (San Juan Islands) we saw a boat on a mooring which had that setup.
It had about 100 swallows using the boat for a home, all over the boat's lifelines, spreaders and the lines across and above the spreaders.
It was just an extra place for them to land.

I'm thinking of making a solar powered attachment to clip to a shroud which would periodically "twang" or vibrate the rig.
Every year I have to teach the new flock of starlings not to land on my boat and use the neighbor's by walking down to the boat (not looking up) and smacking a shroud.
Startled, they fly off then return and the instant they land, I whack it again.
They get the idea pretty quickly that there are other boats without a bird crap nazi to protect his boat. A few days of this process is good for a whole season.

[savoir]

I have never seen swallows around the waterfront. Oh well. The string method has been successful for me for years with seagulls and cormorants.