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Bird Control...When You Open Your Boat for Summer

So you're about to open your boat for the summer. You look up and see gulls circling, just waiting to plop a few choice deposits on your clean deck and shiny polished railings. It's bad enough you have to clean pounds of poop off your canvas covers, but now you'll have to worry about bird droppings all over your antenna and radar gear, windows and portholes, sheets and cleats. Without effective bird control measures, your boat's as vulnerable as a bait shack.

 

You know from experience that seagulls, cormorants, and pigeons enjoy perching on masts, spreaders and canvases. You also learned that the high concentration of uric acid-- found to be even higher in sea birds--could discolor paint, stain canvases and eventually erode steel. And who can ignore the health risks of bacteria and parasites that live and grow in bird droppings? They can carry any of 60 known diseases. Bird control is an investment that will save you time, money and a lot of aggravation.

 

Lucky for you, there are all sorts of effective bird control products for boats. All are easy to install and basically maintenance free. Here are just a few you might look into to protect you boat.

 

Bird Spiders

 

Ideal for use on decks, rooftops, and other flat surfaces, bird spiders have stainless steel "arms" that whip around in the breeze to keep pest birds from landing. Spiders come in various sizes--usually 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-foot diameter arm lengths to cover large areas and deter a wide variety of birds. An effective bird control device against pigeons, seagulls, and larger birds, spiders have no moving parts to wear out.

 

The best bird spiders have a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base. One manufacturer's bird spider comes pre-assembled and ready to place or mount. Most spiders come standard with a glue-on base, so they can be glued down to most surfaces. You can also get spiders with railing mounts for easy attachment to boat rails. Other attachments include a removable sand bag base that allows spiders to be used on boat canvas and Biminis, and a variety of optional boat bases that allow the spider to be used on masts and radar units. As a bird control device, bird spiders are ideal for use in areas where large flocks of pest birds have become a particularly irksome.

 

Solar Powered Bird Repellers

What a novel idea: use the sun's power to whisk away pest birds. Solar powered bird repellers have long blades that whip around to discourage seagulls, pigeons, and crows from landing on your boat. Some repellers even have adjustable "arms" that cover up to 5 feet in diameter and turn continuously at 30 RPM. Better systems can store the sun's converted electrical energy and tap into it to turn the repeller's arms throughout the night or during overcast days. And yes, bird repellers are harmless to birds.

 

Bird Spikes

Usedby boat owners and marina facilities managers around the globe. Bird spikes are highly effective bird control devices for use against pigeons, seagulls and larger birds. They can keep these pests from landing on masts, towers and other areas of a vessel. You can get them in either rigid U.V.-resistant unbreakable polycarbonate or high strength, durable stainless steel. The spikes look like a porcupine on steroids, but they're harmless to birds and people. In fact, bird spikes have been approved by a number of humane groups worldwide--including the U.S. Humane Society and PICAS (Pigeon Control Advisory Service).

 

Stainless steel spikes typically come in 3-, 5- and 8-inch widths, and their non-reflective metal finish makes them virtually invisible when installed. Bird spikes even come in a variety of colors--including white, tan, gray, black, brown, brick red and crystal clear.  The plastic spikes come in 3-, 5- and 7-inch widths and are ideal for use on masts and radar units because there are no EM interference problems with plastic. One manufacturer even sells a no-gap spike that's easy to mount on curved surfaces.

 

Banners, FlashTape, Balloons

 

Birds of any kind don't really like to be around bright flapping things that whip around in the wind. Which is why bird scare devices are so effective when it comes to bird control on boats. They annoy and frighten many types of birds by creating an "Optical Distraction Zone."

 

Take iridescent reflective foil or flash tape, for example.  It's not only inexpensive to buy but easy to attach to just about any part of your boat. String it up on masts and near radar units and birds will be too nervous to land. Another effective visual scare device, the inflatable balloon is ideal for use on masts, radar antennas and overhangs. Balloons intimidate pest birds with their lifelike reflective predator eyes and markings. Teardrop shaped scare-eye diverters are just as effective. They're easy to hang in problem areas. Some bird scare devices have iridescent foil eyes to frighten birds by day and glow-in-the-dark backsides to keep them away at night.

 

When installing bird scare devices, keep in mind that most birds prefer to land on the high points of a vessel, so be sure to mount these deterrents as high as possible.

 

About the Author

Alex Kecskes is a freelance writer focusing on effective and humane bird control. For products to keep birds off of your boat, please visit Bird Free Boats