Simple, Effective Bird Deterrent--Finally!

[senormechanico]

74.99 and free shipping on eBay
New (other)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bird-B-Gone...a8a2:rk:1:pf:0

[Viking Sailor]

I suggest that before buying you read the reviews on Amazon.

[svHyLyte]

Week three with Murphy's recording playing every 5 minutes between sunrise and sunset and with nary a bird poop on the boat; or, even a bird in sight. SO far so good eh?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Week three with Murphy's recording playing every 5 minutes between sunrise and sunset and with nary a bird poop on the boat; or, even a bird in sight. SO far so good eh?

Maybe that is the key, it being used intermittently keeps them from becoming accustomed to it?

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Week three with Murphy's recording playing every 5 minutes between sunrise and sunset and with nary a bird poop on the boat; or, even a bird in sight. SO far so good eh?

Thank you for keeping us posted!

Please check back every so often, I'm very curious to see if it's as good long-term as it has been so far. I'd love to add another arrow to the bird-deterrent quiver.

[sagablu]

Here you go guy, dead seagull without the guilt or conservation issues.

https://www.margosupplies.com/usa/dead-seagull-decoy

https://www.ebay.com/itm/simulation-Seagull-toy-plastic-fur-dead-seagull-bird-model-about-30cm/292183171368?hash=item4407796128:g-sAAOSwmNlZaNyC:rk:26f:0

[svHyLyte]

Well--we are now into week four and we still have no bird droppings on the yacht nor do any of the near-by boats. In fact, our Club invested in several wireless speakers that connect to Murphy's "Bird Bane" and there's nary a bird in sight of the Club property which occupies an area of about 10 acres along the north shore of the Manatee River. Still pretty good performance eh?


It is so great to have to wash off nothing more than dust and a few leaves! A bucket and swab with some soapy water and a garden hose to rinse thing down is all it takes and the job is done in 30 minutes or so. No "scrubbing" or bleach required!


FWIW...


PS: We use "Turtle Wax Liquid Car Soap" which works well and leaves a bit of a shine on the decks once dry.

[billgewater]

We had the same problems with birds and solved the problem using a very light netting around the booms (their favourite place to roost).
The birds around our marina are small finches and other local small birds. No seagulls.
Now I actually miss the little buggers, so I am thinking of making a safe place for them with a poo catcher underneath.
I suppose that considering what we have done to their environment with plastics, chemicals, habitat loss and climate change we could be a little supportive.
So here we have a philosophical issue with bird poo. Reasonably up market compared to recent politics.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by billgewater

I suppose that considering what we have done to their environment with plastics, chemicals, habitat loss and climate change we could be a little supportive.

So here we have a philosophical issue with bird poo. Reasonably up market compared to recent politics.

A nice sentiment. But after getting the bill for replacing my entire Bimini enclosure, including 12 side curtains, after the seagulls pecked holes in it eating crabs on the top, I'm a little less charitable toward our feathered friends.

But it's true that the BS coming down on the boat is far less corrosive than the kind that's coming out of our politicians.

[svHyLyte]

A: Hopefully this thread, which was intended as simply a FYI--Good Idea posting will not devolve to some political/environmental BS debate;

B: Murphy's "Bird Bane" is about as environmentally "friendly" as it gets, particularly in comparison with netting/mesh or what have you. Merely, replayed bird-calls which are barely audible to human ears but sufficiently loud, and alarming, to birds to keep them at bay.

Here in southwest Florida, particularly during the winter months, we are afflicted with a plethora of birds, many having done their annual southern migration like their bipedal namesakes: "snow birds". We are confronted with Crows, Scrub Jays, Sparrows, Gulls, Herons, Osprey, Pelicans, etc. etc. etc. And, our marina is surrounded with the type foliage that many of these feathered pests feed on or nest in so they can be, virtually, all over the place with their leavings virtually covering ones decks/canvas/spars/rigging daily. (We have seen, literally, hundreds of birds perched together on our club roof, making it appear, from a distance, to be black, although it is transformed to white--droppings--when they all take flight, even though the actual color of the metal roofing is "Pepsi" blue). The birds waste contains their stomach acids which, when combined with the moisture in the air, forms a corrosive mix that eats through gel-coat, canvas, varnish, cetol, paint, and if the paint is breached, metal roofing (which our club recently had to replace yet again because of the birds!). So, preventing this debris/damage, but without injuring the pests themselves or adding to the plastic wase stream that finds its way into the sea, seems pretty laudatory, No?

[Buzzman]

I think it'as always helpful when humans refer to 'pesky wildlife' to remember that, actually, they were there first, and it is WE who are despoiling THEIR environment, not the other way round.

Long after the zombie apocalypse, the birds will still be flying south for the winter, landing in the same trees, and shitting on the same (decomposing) boats, marinas, sidewalks and buildings - except there'll be no humans left to notice.

On topic, I think the audible deterrent is laudable if it does work long term and the birds are habituated (as usually happens with such 'pesky wildlife deterrents').

The boom - to - gunwhale netting is a common feature on anchored boats in Oz, but eventually the birds work out whihc boats are dormant and congregate there. Or at least, the lack of visible maintenance makes it appear so...

[Normanskier]

[QUOTE=Buzzman;2789989]I think it'as always helpful when humans refer to 'pesky wildlife' to remember that, actually, they were there first, and it is WE who are despoiling THEIR environment, not the other way round.

Long after the zombie apocalypse, the birds will still be flying south for the winter, landing in the same trees, and shitting on the same (decomposing) boats, marinas, sidewalks and buildings - except there'll be no humans left to notice.

On topic, I think the audible deterrent is laudable if it does work long term and the birds are habituated (as usually happens with such 'pesky wildlife deterrents').

The boom - to - gunwhale netting is a common feature on anchored boats in Oz, but eventually the birds work out whihc boats are dormant and congregate there. Or at least, the lack of visible maintenance makes it appear so...[/QUOTE

Oh boy! Do I agree with that. We as sailors should do our very best to preserve our environment. Natural forces propel us and our boats. There are too many a hoes who try to profit from the decline of our environment. Probably hopeless to resist. But it would be impossible to do otherwise.
]

[Buzzman]

Originally Posted by Buzzman

On topic, I think the audible deterrent is laudable if it does work long term and the birds are habituated (as usually happens with such 'pesky wildlife deterrents').

I think I meant to say "and the birds are NOT habituated"

My bad...

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Buzzman

I think it'as always helpful when humans refer to 'pesky wildlife' to remember that, actually, they were there first, and it is WE who are despoiling THEIR environment, not the other way round.

I agree, and I'll always use non-lethal deterrents if at all possible.

That said, the huge seagull population, at least in the Northeast US, is NOT natural. They've already decimated the populations of other native bird species by taking over rookeries and eating eggs. They're scavengers who only exist in such large numbers because of human garbage, and those stupid tourists who insist on feeding them french fries at the beach.

There really should be a bounty on them, but for some reason they're protected. Go figure.

[Buzzman]

Yeah, we humans have some weirdly contradictory behaviours.

FTR, I agree with your sentiments about 'pesky wildlife' when it reaches plague proportions and begins to interfere with either human health or other wildlife, perhaps more deserving of protection.

We have issues here in Oz with fruitbats - in plague proportions due to the sheer qty of food trees we humans have planted everywhere that simply did not exist pre-European colonisation.

Similarly, issues with the - definitely introduced and now at plague proportions - wild horses in the Snowy Mountains region on the border of VIC and NSW, that are ruingn the delivate uplands streams and swamp regions home to rare indigenous frogs etc.

And let's not talk about the kangaroos eating out the sheep and cattle, especially during recent drought period. Again, no Aborigines hunting them, and we've wiped out the dingoes that used to predate them, so....

Try arguing to get rid of any of those - and stand well back from the turnstiles....