Keeping birds off boats. How?

[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. The poor owners have their boats fitted with every contrivance known to man. Sometimes they have their mooring moved only to find the flock simply follows the boat.

An afflicted owner I was talking to yesterday said the family of cormorants remained on his boat even when he was aboard and returned within 5 seconds of him chasing them away. He said he has tried Humming lines, CD’s, Netting and any manner of contrivances to no long term avail.

I thought some sort of sea eagle wings spread hovering in the rigging claws outstretched as in just before a strike might give them enough stress to leave their adopted home. Or do they get used to that as well?

The mooring area is adjacent to housing so noise is out as is culling .


Can’t blame the cormorants really we remove their natural habitat and the desperate birds have to move to the boats. The gulls are another matter.

Any success stories?

[Toot]

The inventor in me qould suggest a device that runs, perhaps, on solar power. A very slow pump that slowly builds pressure in a reservoir and shoots a "shot" of sea water randomly across the boat. Enough "action" might encourage the birds to find a more predictable habitat.

[KnottyBuoyz]

Get one of those inflatable gators. They kind they sell at the pool store. Just about every bird on this planet is afraid of gators. I read a story a while back where a golf course in Maine was running a contest to rid themselves of those damn Canadian Geese and this was the winning entry. It was from a FLA golfer who happened to be visiting and remembered that every hole on his home course that had gators also had no birds.

Rick

[longliner45]

we just had the same problem at our shop. inside the birds would congregate, health issius and all, we hired a co. to come in , since we are a power co. we have to deal with all the (human)stuff and all ,and im for it. instead of poisons and traps ,,,they put a sticky stuff on all the pipes were the birds hung out ,,now they are all gone ,,,,,amazing ,no dead birds and no birds at all , ill find out what they used and tell you , you could put it on your spreaders and such and see what kind of luck you have ,so far 3 mos and no birds....longliner

[hansp77]

Hey Mike,
same problem for me.
we have been building up quite a supply of guano on our swing mooring.
From appearances the netting seems to work best where we are.
That is what I am going to go for.

But also, like you said, it seems that some boats get targeted and some avoided. Wish I was one of the second.

I wonder if a blow up croc would work? Can't imagine too many melbourne seagulls having prior experience with crocs, but maybe it would be instinctual or something.

Can't wait for the success stories.

[yotphix]

Perhaps there are scents that birds fear or find distasteful? Judging by the results at Toronto Island Airport sound just sends them up for a moment anyway so not much help. There seem to be quite a few bird of prey kites in Newport Beach Moorings but I don't know how effective they are. Inflatable snakes are reputed to work as well.

[Frosty]

What about hanging a few real, but dead birds up on the rigging. I mean you wouldnt go knock on the door of a house with a dead human being hanging outside?--- Just a thought--

[Pericles]

Bird scarers such as http://www.birdscarers.co.uk/ might work. Or how about helium balloons? http://birdcontrol.net/

A hawk kite attached to the tip of the mast (if present) would fly on the wind and could work for the whole marina.

Pericles

[Frosty]

Put a cat on board with some water and a cat litter tray. You wouldnt need to feed it ,--it would eat the birds. You would'nt have rats iether.

[westlawn5554X]

An air-rifle, a kid and 10 bucks ... good combo

[caveman]

westlawn5554x has a very good idea! but most bird do not like high pitch sounds beeps or chimes. you can purchase very loud ones that would do the job that run off 110vac or 12vdc at radio shack for five buck or less.with this and a simple timer it just might work for you. Bye the way I work at a grain elevator that has alot of birds around and it works good there.

[MikeJohns]

Is this going to become another pirates thread? I was hoping for some practical "I tried this and it worked on my boat" type answers.

Dead birds have been tried and did not work.

Killing the birds is out too .

a big Inflatable croc on the boom (or snake) might work

Water squirter would need maintenance but it could drive them away

Longliners gloop sounds a bit messy on the rails decks, spreaders...

Sounds need to be quiet since there are often houses close by to moorings, but high frequency might work. Humming lines have not worked apparently.

Smell...I dont thiink birds are very sensitive to taste or smell.

Hairdressers model heads didn't work.

I am glad it's not my boat.

Cheers
Mike

[Frosty]

What about leaving the radar on then they would die of cancer. No one would know you did it!

Eerrrr -- nope, you've got me now,-- I cant think of any thing else, --well I can but there not as good as the ones ive already said, the rest are just stupid.

[Figgy]

In all honesty, and not trying to be rude, move your boat. Thats it. I've tried everything. I moved my boat into what I thought was a better slip, only to to come down a week later to a wreck. It was tragic. A bunch of cash, and a trash can full of stuff later, I pleaded with the marina to let me move back. Nothing works. Ok, somethings might for some people, but nothing for me. Either buy stock in your favorite soap, or move the boat. Sorry.

[Poida]

Round here nets are banned because they entangle the birds.
But common to find in one of our beach suburbs to keep seagulls away are model owls. Apparently birds are scared of them.