Bird Deterrents

Joining in the ranks of boat ownership is a great feeling.  There is no better sensation than taking the vessel out into the open sea in spring time; the cool wind whipping past your face, feeling the slight sprinkles of salt water on your skin.  Along with the fun comes responsibility.  Boating is a sport that can be time consuming and expensive.  With the cost of gas, life jackets, licenses and permits, fishing gear and insurance to name a few, taking care of what you have requires groundwork.

Maintenance is a key factor for boat owners.  Spring is the time of year for the annual preparation and cleaning for millions of boat owners.  Annual maintenance prevents problems and delays in getting the boat out into the open sea.  Bird control should always be included along with the yearly checkup of safety gear, fuel systems and fluid levels.  There are two different bird control methods that will keep your boat bird free. 

Visual Bird Deterrents   

    Reflective Bird Diverters

Visual bird deterrents that will help achieve a bird free boat consist of methods that will scare the bird away and get rid of the bird from your boat.  Visual bird deterrents such as reflective bird diverters, predator eye scare balloons and flash tape are objects that can be hung on the railings, and especially any high areas on the boat.    Reflective bird diverters frighten the bird away with the mock predator eye design and the shiny reflective surface.  Both work in unison to make the pest bird visually uncomfortable.  It is effective for both small and larger bird species.  They are durable and can be left in use and can also be easily stored away. 

    Predator Eye Scare Balloon

The scare balloon acts as a bird deterrent in the same way as the hanging bird diverters.  The scare balloon is a vinyl balloon.  It is about the same size as the average beach ball that children play with.  It has very bright colors that are very easy for the pest birds to see.  The design on the side of the scare balloon is a mock predator eye.  The vinyl material also makes the scare balloon have a shiny reflective surface.  All features of the balloon will have the pest bird confused and frightened.  They will fly around this visual distraction to avoid the area and stay away.

    Flash Tape

Again, scaring the bird away, not harming them is the goal of strategic bird control.  Mylar flash tape that is an iridescent red will do the trick.  Strips of flash tape can be placed anywhere on the boat, the higher the better.  Like the diverters and scare balloons, the flash tape creates that visual disturbance for the pest bird.  Not only does the flash tape move in the breeze having the sun reflect of the tape causing irritation to the bird’s sense of sight, but there is a sound when the flash tape moves.  It is a crinkling like sound that is another irritant that they will want to avoid.  As for the boater, the flash tape and other visual deterrents create almost a festive look on the boat; if you happen to notice them at all it is a very unassuming way to keep your boat bird free.

Physical Bird Deterrents

You might be asking yourself about ensuring a bird free boat at night when it is dark out and there is no breeze.  A physical bird deterrent is something that blocks the pest bird from any given area.  This would be a successful means of keeping a bird free boat during dark times.  There are cross between bird control products that address both visual and physical deterrents.

Solar Bird Repeller

A solar bird repeller only takes a full day of sun to charge the 2-AA rechargeable batteries that will last during the dark periods.  The solar powered bird deterrent uses continuous movement to get rid of the pest birds.  The solar bird repeller is a portable unit that has a 5 foot long “arm” that spins continually when turned on.  The movement of the arm is what keeps the birds away from the area.  The “arm” movement is the physical aspect that keeps the bird from landing and movement is the visual disturbance that frightens them away. 

    Bird Spider

A bird spider works the same way as a solar bird repeller in the aspect as it acts as both a physical deterrent as well as a visual deterrent.  The bird spider has optional bases, including a boat base for easy installation on masts or spreaders.  You can purchase this bird deterrent in four different sizes depending on the area you are protecting.  The bird spider’s “arms” come in 2’, 4’, 6’ and 8’ sizes.  These “arms” move and bounce around in the breeze.  The movement keeps the birds, especially larger birds such as seagulls, from landing near the movement.  Again, they are frightened away.

Scare tactics to get rid of birds to obtain a bird free boat does not harm the pest bird.  It is a safe and humane way to protect your investment of the vessel.  The low cost of the physical and visual bird deterrents will keep you boating all year long.  Making it a part of your winterizing and de-winterizing check list will make certain that your boat will not only be clean but safe a bird free.