Keeping birds off boats. How?

[earljfowler]

In Essex, CT, where we have the largest national flock of diarhea inflicted comorant, I tried the rubber gator trick, and found the birds literally s____ on the gator. Sorry to be Discouraging, but it didn't work. I like the "sticky stuff" idea, and I intend to try it.

[Poida]

I guess that whatever scares seabirds depends what area you are in.
Like, we don't have alligators or crocs where we are so the birds wouldn't know what they were and would not be scared of them.

It's no good putting a sign up saying "birds keep off" if the birds in your area are illiterate.

Mike Johns reckon the seagulls crap all over the owls where he is. Or it scares the **** out of them.

Now consider this. You are trying to scare the birds away.

Think outside the square.

Where do birds like to go?

Set up a perch where the birds would like to sit, and put a tray underneath so the birds poo in one place that is easy to clean. Or place the perch outside the perimeter of the boat so they crap in the water. It would seem that the birds only sit on your boat because they need somewhere to sit. Give 'em somewhere to sit outside your boat, problem solved.

[earljfowler]

I appreciate the more global thinking about the guano prevention problem. It's true, why would a New England cormorant fear a gator, never having been eaten by one. If a couple of real gators could be tethered to the deck -as Triston Jones once did with lizzaards to eat ants - on long leashes, that would take care of the offending birds and teach fear to the rest.

Catching the guano in recepticles may not work in this area, because the cormorant, and perhaps other sea birds, perch on our spreaders, bow pulpit, taffrail, and all along the boom. The latter is the worst, as cleaning the sail cover of cormorant concrete could make a strong man cry. I wish I knew how to cooperate with the birds other than to say, "S.... where you like."

[Vega]

Originally Posted by MikeJohns

It looks like the high frequency noise .... Suppose we should tell the commercial bird scaring people that the problem exists, they can then produce a "Marine version"

Cheers

Mike, perhaps I was not clear, but what I was saying in post 18 is that there are Marine versions of commercial bird scaring devices.

Take a look:

http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/...html#mpsmarine

http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/birdscarers.html

[Dave 65]

We have a real problem with ducks and geese on our docks. We tied cds to a string and placed them around the dock. Not a single bird has come back.

[Toot]

Originally Posted by Vega

Mike, perhaps I was not clear, but what I was saying in post 18 is that there are Marine versions of commercial bird scaring devices.

Take a look:

http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/...html#mpsmarine

http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/birdscarers.html

From your posted website, I guess I don't understand this part... anyone care to explain?

In addition, they use a mimimal amount (around 24 seconds per hour) of audible gull calls which is designed to blend in with the environment so as not to cause a nuisance effect, together they create a very high level of protection against seagulls.

[l_boyle]

A tough one to answer.. Shooting birds will not stop them from coming back. Scent ain't gonna work. A scarecrows are a joke. But, for real treat. I may suggested the motion sensor from a light, with squirting water cannon will be the best bet... Meanwhile, hang up a bunch of alumium pie tins.. Where it will sway in the breeze, and reflect light from the sun. It worked in my garden, don't see why it wouldn't work on boats

[Toot]

Originally Posted by l_boyle

A tough one to answer.. Shooting birds will not stop them from coming back. Scent ain't gonna work. A scarecrows are a joke. But, for real treat. I may suggested the motion sensor from a light, with squirting water cannon will be the best bet... Meanwhile, hang up a bunch of alumium pie tins.. Where it will sway in the breeze, and reflect light from the sun. It worked in my garden, don't see why it wouldn't work on boats

LOL! Tying a water cannon into a motion sensor!!! It'd be a project for an electrical engineer, no doubt but oh wow! What a neat little toy that would be!

[Frosty]

Has any one mentioned a cat yet???--- Oh thats right i did-

Perhaps some one could explain to me why a cat can not be considered.

[l_boyle]

Well jack frost, lol... cats considered a pain in the arse. We are dealing with bird droppings, right?
Now, dealing with more droppings from cats, what a stinky doo with hair balls.. Cats urine are nasty, smelly gunk that is hard to clean up after. I could image, going down below in the cuddy, and smell that stink remain that never could be washes up.. "No cats onboard"....

[yotphix]

Mike Johns,
Would the marine versions be yellow? I hope so because only yellow things are waterproof. That's why I bought a new yellow washdown hose. The people at the store wanted to sell me a white one but could you imagine a hose that isn't waterproof? Sheesh! How dumb do I look?!

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by l_boyle

Well jack frost, lol... cats considered a pain in the arse. We are dealing with bird droppings, right?
Now, dealing with more droppings from cats, what a stinky doo with hair balls.. Cats urine are nasty, smelly gunk that is hard to clean up after. I could image, going down below in the cuddy, and smell that stink remain that never could be washes up.. "No cats onboard"....

Jeeeez you must have funny cats over there. We have cats here that crap in a cat litter things a bit like a tray of sand. If you think cats are like that well ---actually I hate the nasty liittle !@#$%^ but they have thier jobs and this is one they could do.

A friend of mine had a cat,-- well still does , he brought the cat litter tray closer to the toilet, every day a bit close and closer untill he put the tray on top of the toilet. Then he cut a hole in it so the cat would then crap in the toilet. Finally removing the tray the cat now craps in the toilet,---just like you and me

[safewalrus]

Originally Posted by l_boyle

A tough one to answer.. Shooting birds will not stop them from coming back.

funny I thought death was kinda final! it's only in kids games where you count to one hundred and then you become alive again or have I got it wrong all these years

As to Poida's idea of giving them a nice alternative, does this mean you find a boat covered with poo and moor next to him! the idea has merit! but the guy who owns the poo'd upon boat might get a bit upset when all these smart clean boats moor up next him - so he cleans up and the birds shift toilet to ......maybe not so good

[Vega]

Originally Posted by Toot

From your posted website, I guess I don't understand this part... anyone care to explain?

"Model BS
In addition, they use a mimimal amount (around 24 seconds/hour) of audible gull calls which is designed to blend in with the environment so as not to cause a nuisance effect, together they create a very high level of protection against seagulls.
Whilst the ultrasonic sound is produced constantly to offer protection around the clock, the audible sounds are automatically stopped at dusk and restarted at dawn, however, this can be controlled manually with the On/Off/Volume switch if so required.


Model BS3/E
In addition to Predator calls this unique Birdscarer produces a powerful strobe flashes that will momentarily blind any bird that looks at the unit.
Various modes of operation and numerous Predator Call plug in chips available"

http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/...html#mpsmarine

Probably the “gull calls” is a Typo error. Probably they want to say: Scaring Gulls calls.

For the next product, they speak of "predator calls"

Why the hell would they want to call the gulls instead of sending them away? Unless they can emit a distress gull call that made all the gulls run away.

[Wynand N]

Originally Posted by MikeJohns

How do you keep the birds off the moored boat?
Tons of guano always accumulates on one or two boats in a mooring area.

What an oppertunity to establish a vegetable garden on deck. Think about it, fresh veggies on demand, endless supply of organic fertilizer