We used bungee cords linked together with old CD's on them. Birds apparently didn't like them. When they went south at the end of the season in a big blow, the birds came back!
This is for the birds...
- Thread starter Kermit
- Start date
My first attempt with the pig stick was a flag pole with the Gadsden flag on it. Had a great triple meaning. Birds hate snakes, flags wave in the breeze and it's a cool flag that spells out in plain English that I don't want no stinkin' birds on my mast. My dock neighbor walked up and immediately complained that it's too political. Sheesh! My wife insisted I take it down. HRUMPH! Maybe I'm naive but I still think it's perfect.
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Problem is, this would scare the S*#@ out of them, which is what he is trying to stop.....
You dock mate sounds like a "high maintenance" friend. Part of living in a community is tolerating different points of view.
We also have luck with old "Shiny" CDs. We had a bad infestation of swallows on/around our boat and dock. Since hanging them so they can flap in the breeze all the birds are gone. I can only guess that the sun reflecting on them hurts their acute eyes enough to deter them. The CDs only last a few months outside but I can find enough old ones around to replace them. Best part is it also keeps them off the spreaders. They used to love to sit there. It only takes me about 3-4 from bow to stern.
Since placing them around, the birds not only don't come around the boat but the dock is clear also. The swallows nested under the dock then rested all over the boat.. So far they are gone now for the last 4 years. Also Seagull droppings on dock have gone way down. Only 1 or 2 a year near shore. Dock is about 100 ft long.
NOTE: Our boat is never in the shade. (on sunny days).
Since placing them around, the birds not only don't come around the boat but the dock is clear also. The swallows nested under the dock then rested all over the boat.. So far they are gone now for the last 4 years. Also Seagull droppings on dock have gone way down. Only 1 or 2 a year near shore. Dock is about 100 ft long.
NOTE: Our boat is never in the shade. (on sunny days).
There is a special grain that I buy at my local farm supply store. While it is intended for killing gophers and mice and rats, it works wonderfully at controlling my local pesty pigeon population. I try to "feed" them about once a week. After a couple of weeks, no more problems. Oh the neighbors might complain about a few dead birds, but whatcha going to do?
He's from Minnesota or one of those other Canadian states. Other than that he's a great guy. As long as my wife says no, no it shall be. I still have the flag. Just don't know how or where to enjoy it.
Of course, she has to be moved around a lot, since birds are not as dumb as
I thought.
dave
Great idea. It'll look just like the sail on my AquaCat. Thanks for the tip!
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We have a Starling problem in our marina. Similar to flynhi4u suggestion, this stuff seems to work better than most non-lethal solutions. Good luck!
When my mast was down, I took out the top plate, and tapped it for #6 x1 1/2" machine screws, which I had ground to a point; installed four of them, fore to aft so they protruded .
I also have a mast head light unit and a windex. The cap of the light I drilled 3 small holes and 4200'd in 1" brads-very sharp. The index has a centre spike but to deter the smaller birds, eg crows, I carefully drilled through the centre spine, and installed SS wire , two on the leading leg, on on the trailing leg, and one up the aft edge of the vane, also epoxied to keep that one lined up. No problems with osprey or crows since
btw I also installed monofilament between the upper shrouds, across the face of the mast, about 4inches above the spreaders. This discourages all birds from landing and roosting on the spreaders. As I don't have a track up the face of the mast, I put a blob of 4200 where the monofilament crosses, to keep it from sagging.
Works a treat.
I also have a mast head light unit and a windex. The cap of the light I drilled 3 small holes and 4200'd in 1" brads-very sharp. The index has a centre spike but to deter the smaller birds, eg crows, I carefully drilled through the centre spine, and installed SS wire , two on the leading leg, on on the trailing leg, and one up the aft edge of the vane, also epoxied to keep that one lined up. No problems with osprey or crows since
btw I also installed monofilament between the upper shrouds, across the face of the mast, about 4inches above the spreaders. This discourages all birds from landing and roosting on the spreaders. As I don't have a track up the face of the mast, I put a blob of 4200 where the monofilament crosses, to keep it from sagging.
Works a treat.
I remember that problem in LA one time. My first winter I put fishing line tent, like a partially open umbrella without the canvas cover, from the mainsheet and jibsheet at top o mast to deck. I tied the lines at the cleats, shroud stanchions, cabin top handles all the way around to the stern. Left it like that for a couple of months while it was too cold to sail. It stopped the problem. The birds soon learn that if the fly to my boat they get either knocked out of the air or tangled in fishing line. They stopped coming over for a long time. Fishing line about 2 or 3 inches mast to spreader keeps them off spreaders and is mostly invisible. I used clear fishing line 25# weight all around. It's ok to piss off the birds..
NotCook
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- Dec 29, 2008
- 805
Looks like a home made lightning rod!
We had lots of problems with seagulls in Ohio - thousands of them. Made a mess of the boats and the docks were disgusting to walk on. We don't have any problem with them down here. There are only 7 seagulls on St. Croix - I counted. Pelican's are a different matter. They don't seem to bother us, at least on the mooring.
Used to have a problem with spiders on the boat in the marina, too. Every evening, I would eradicate maybe 25-30 of them as they came out and started web building. Don't seem to have the same problem down here. I saw a spider once, while in a marina.
We had lots of problems with seagulls in Ohio - thousands of them. Made a mess of the boats and the docks were disgusting to walk on. We don't have any problem with them down here. There are only 7 seagulls on St. Croix - I counted. Pelican's are a different matter. They don't seem to bother us, at least on the mooring.
Used to have a problem with spiders on the boat in the marina, too. Every evening, I would eradicate maybe 25-30 of them as they came out and started web building. Don't seem to have the same problem down here. I saw a spider once, while in a marina.
This forum always usually sometimes answers my questions and once again you have done it. This thread shows the best reason for me to stay in NJ.