Canopy - Birds

[Fisherlake]

I keep my boat on a covered lift at our cabin in NW Wisconsin. Due to conflicts we were unable to go up there for a couple of weeks. We went down to the dock last Friday night for a cocktail cruise only to find that birds had started to use my lift as a hangout and my boat as an outhouse. There was bird crap everywhere. It looked like the hotel room from the movie HangOver. Not a fun cleanup.

I had a custom canopy designed so I wouldn't have to drop the tower and put the cover on the boat. One of the locals recommended hanging ribbons from the corners of the lift. I have seen people use bug netting but don't want to fight with it every time we take the boat on and off the lift. Does anybody have any additional tips for keeping the damn birds out of the canopy? We're trying the ribbon thing and will find out Friday if it works. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Glen Lake Malibu]

Same thing happend to me. I just bought the BIRDSTOPPER ! WWW.birdstopper.com. I have to say it works.

[Sixball]

I have ribbons inside my canopy can't say it helped. I rip the nests down before completion. The one thing that works for me is as soon as all my neighbors get lifts in the birds move to them. I am one of the first lifts in each year.

I cover my boat in the lift if I am done using the boat for the day If its not birds it pollen, spiders, so the cover goes on.

[martinarcher]

Same thing happend to me. I just bought the BIRDSTOPPER ! WWW.birdstopper.com. I have to say it works.

I'm confused? How does it work. Looks like a metal hook on their product page.

[Glen Lake Malibu]

Yes, all aluminum tubes shaped like a "J". inside is a wire with a loop attached to the end. Once mounted to the frame of the hoist, the tubes extend above the canopy cover. From there, a strong twine is strung to all four corners in a cris-cross fashion. The birds/Gulls can not land with the string above, so they fly to neighbors hoist. The only negative, poor mounting bracket. I reinforced the bracket with a hose clamp! For $150 bucks, it was worth it since I have $7,000 into the hoist and canopy. My hoist is a floe brand.

[martinarcher]

Yes, all aluminum tubes shaped like a "J". inside is a wire with a loop attached to the end. Once mounted to the frame of the hoist, the tubes extend above the canopy cover. From there, a strong twine is strung to all four corners in a cris-cross fashion. The birds/Gulls can not land with the string above, so they fly to neighbors hoist. The only negative, poor mounting bracket. I reinforced the bracket with a hose clamp! For $150 bucks, it was worth it since I have $7,000 into the hoist and canopy. My hoist is a floe brand.

That's cool. So the twine acts like a "trip wire" that keeps them from coming in for a landing? Sounds simple enough!

[Michigan boarder]

We hang a couple of high pitched wind chimes. Has worked every year, except last year there was a stubborn barn swallow, kept trying to make a home. I stood on my pier with a kayak paddle swinging at it one afternoon as it repeatedly dive bombed me for removing the start of a nest. And then he/she went away!

[bigD]

My boat sits under a nice cover, but I still never assumed that it would not have to be covered to stay clean which it won't uncovered. Birds spiders dust etc...

I had doves making a nest on the tower one year, in about 2 days my cover had twigs and bird poo on it, glad it was covered.

[martinarcher]

We hang a couple of high pitched wind chimes. Has worked every year, except last year there was a stubborn barn swallow, kept trying to make a home. I stood on my pier with a kayak paddle swinging at it one afternoon as it repeatedly dive bombed me for removing the start of a nest. And then he/she went away!

Oh man that would have been awesome to see!

[MalibuNation]

Oh man that would have been awesome to see!

John, I think you sent those swallows to my place ... this year I had a pair trying to nest in my canopy and I removed their nest over 10 times. They would build in the front, then the back, then the front, then the back ...

Edited July 27, 2010 by MalibuNation

[LakeOneSkier]

We have neighbors who've used the birdstopper, ultra-sonic devices, expensive art-foil like tape, fishing line, nets, etc. Some work, some do not.

The best thing we've found is Mardi Gras beads. Got the idea from an outdoor restaurant we frequent. Hung them in all the places the birds could land or build nests, have not had a bird problem in over 3 years.

Cheap solution, and festive too!

[Michigan boarder]

John, I think you sent those swallows to my place ... this year I had a pair trying to next in my canopy and I removed their nest over 10 times. They would build in the front, then the back, then the front, then the back ...

I'll provide my paddle services for 3 beers an hour. It's OK, I'm not good enough to actually make contact, but it gets the message across to them..."that guy's nuts".

[MaddMaxx]

I have neighbors that use plastic owls. Not sure if it works or not.

[MalibuNation]

I'll provide my paddle services for 3 beers an hour. It's OK, I'm not good enough to actually make contact, but it gets the message across to them..."that guy's nuts".

Them suckers use a lot of mud in their nest ... was getting mud all over my boat.

[SkiingPT]

We have the plastic owl and has worked so far this year. I have seen a lot of people use cd's hung on fishing line. The reflection from the cd scares the birds.

[wakeboy]

We have a crazy amount of Hawks that live right by my place. So I think the birds like to go elsewhere because we never have any birds nesting near us.

[K^J]

Fellow bird watchers.

These are some pretty innovative ideas for keep our feathered friends away from our docks and boat, unfortunately they don't quite do the trick.

Our dock is next to a bird sanctuary. We get all kinds of birds eating, crapping, and squawking on our boat canopy. Apparently they like the view. We don't like the smell or the clean-up.

We have tried all the above (minus the beads, I'll try that next) and are now installing a motion sensor sprinkler. Most likely going to take the water right from the lake. I'll let you know if this works.

I think our Owl attracts the Blue Heron.

Any other idea?

KJ

[jcon44]

I heard of people using old CD's (compact Discs) to keep birds out of pools. The theory is the birds dont like the reflections made by the CD's. Never tried it myself but i imagine it would work on a boat as long as the CD's are hung up and allowed to move with the wind. Good luck! I sometimes leave my boat in the water overnight and often times find Geese have left treats on the swim platform, needless to say i dislike geese.

[tvano]

I heard of people using old CD's (compact Discs) to keep birds out of pools. The theory is the birds dont like the reflections made by the CD's. Never tried it myself but i imagine it would work on a boat as long as the CD's are hung up and allowed to move with the wind. Good luck! I sometimes leave my boat in the water overnight and often times find Geese have left treats on the swim platform, needless to say i dislike geese.

it helps keep the birds out if you can figure out what kind of cd that they DON'T like; if they like country use rap cd's...

[Kathy]

I know this is an old post but I’ve had such luck with something that I need to share. We had horrible nesting in all corners of our boat canopy, what a mess! So we now squeeze mint gel toothpaste in all corners and place a few mothballs on top and no nests, birds or as many spiders for years. I also spray the boat with peppermint oil for spiders. 

[MalibuNation]

@Kathy interesting to say the least.

[MFknK]

I am not sure it will work at the lake like it works at the coast for seagulls, but monofilament fishing line tied across in all directions stretched tight, anywhere you can put it without being in the way. 

We never have birds landing at the coast. I think there is a slight reflection from the line that tricks the birds into staying away.

[Leftlane]

I use these 2 items from Amazon - super cheap, super easy, and super effective.  Zero bird issues (and less spiders) ever since I hung this stuff up.  Give it a try!

https://www.amazon.com/Chephon-Upgraded-Bird-Repellent-Discs/dp/B01LYEI23V/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SYGQU5OE7DCK&keywords=chephon+bird+repellant&qid=1558818951&s=gateway&sprefix=Chephon%2Caps%2C1107&sr=8-1

 

https://www.amazon.com/Repellent-Woodpeckers-Grackles-Deterrent-Roosting/dp/B00LH28WK0/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2E3HNYO82ECII&keywords=bird+scare+tape&qid=1558818992&s=gateway&sprefix=Bird+scare+tape%2Caps%2C324&sr=8-6

Edited May 25, 2019 by Leftlane

[Eagleboy99]

For that first one - FINALLY - a use for all those AOL Online CDs in the bottom drawer! 

[SouthsideBoarder]

 

On 7/26/2010 at 4:52 PM, Fisherlake said:

I keep my boat on a covered lift at our cabin in NW Wisconsin. Due to conflicts we were unable to go up there for a couple of weeks. We went down to the dock last Friday night for a cocktail cruise only to find that birds had started to use my lift as a hangout and my boat as an outhouse. There was bird crap everywhere. It looked like the hotel room from the movie HangOver. Not a fun cleanup.

I had a custom canopy designed so I wouldn't have to drop the tower and put the cover on the boat. One of the locals recommended hanging ribbons from the corners of the lift. I have seen people use bug netting but don't want to fight with it every time we take the boat on and off the lift. Does anybody have any additional tips for keeping the damn birds out of the canopy? We're trying the ribbon thing and will find out Friday if it works. Keeping my fingers crossed.

We tie a plastic grocery bags in each corner using the loop handles to tie. Done it every year and never one issue. They say the birds don’t like the bags. Neighbor beside us forgot to put his up and had 2 nests in less than a week. We put them on when we put on the canopy and not one in over 10 years. The birds don’t even swoop under the canopy when on either.