How to Keep Birds off Boats & Bird Free using Bird Deterrents!

Gulls on Boat Railings!

Boat owners of all persuasions, be it motor or sail, eagerly await the spring when the weather turns warm and they can get back out on the water.  They enjoy both the quiet and solitude of a calm lake and the excitement of the open seas.  An added pleasure for many is just relaxing on their boat while in dock. But along with the changing of the season comes the task of getting the boat cleaned and ready for use. This includes removing all of the built up dirt and bird droppings. Bird droppings tend to accumulate because of sea birds flying by or roosting at various locations, such as boat canopies, boat covers, bimini tops, decks, deck-houses, booms, radar towers, antennas and lights. The problem birds, depending on location, tend to be gulls, geese, ducks, cormorants, herons and pelicans. Sailboats, motorboats or speedboats all have the potential of attracting pest bird problems. While dirt build up on a boat can’t be stopped, you can take a proactive approach of deterring birds from boats.

Bird Deterrents for Boats

Keeping birds off of boats can be accomplished by using a combination of visual and structural bird deterrents placed on or near the bird problem area. A combination of bird control devices is always recommended to help keep the boat bird free.

Visual bird deterrents work on a bird’s predatory fear of sudden movement and predator effigies. A new and highly effective bird control product is the Gull-Cat cat Decoy Scares Birds, 

This product is a life-like cat whose head and tail moves. The Gull Cat Decoy can be positioned on canopies, decks, booms etc. The Gull-Cat Decoy Bird Deterrent can be securely tethered at typical roosting areas - boom, mast, rigging etc - on sailboats. Most boats should use more then 1 Cat Decoy Scares Birds (example:  one at the bow and one at the stern).

When possible, the Gull-Cat cat Decoy Bird Deterrent should be moved every few days to keep the pest birds frightened by its movement.   Along with the Gull Cat Decoy Scares  Birds, other visual bird deterrents such as the Holographic Owl, Firefly Bird Diverter, Scare Eye Balloons, Scare Eye Octopus and the Dead Gull Decoy Device 
 

Dead Seagull Decoy

can be hung from the boom, pulpit, push pit, or basically  anywhere close to the place where the gulls or problem birds like to roost.  When installing the visual bird deterrents, make sure that they are positioned so that they may move freely in the wind and reflect sunlight at the pest birds.

Gull-Cat Bird Deterrent near the bow of the boat

Structural Bird Deterrents for Boats

The most popular boat bird deterrent has long been the Daddi Long Legs. This unusual product features long metal arms that move menacingly in the wind and will turn in with even the slightest breeze to help keep gulls and other sea birds away from canopies, decks and booms. When possible, select the size which will allow the arms to hang over or just reaches the edge of the bird problem area. 

 

Daddi Long Legs with Boat Base

 Boat attachments are also available for permanent or removable attachment to booms, decks and railings etc.

Birds Spikes can be used to keep gulls and other sea birds off of boat antennas and lights. Bird Spikes can easily be snapped in small sections and then glued or zipped- tied in place. 

When properly installed, bird deterrents will help keep boats bird free!