Birds!

[ahoward@wheatonma.edu]

don't waste time

As a follow up.....the owl thing works for a little while but the birds seem to catch on as they do with the CD's, snakes, flags, scarecrows, etc. Get some stainless wire, (like for fishing) and attach to side stays and mast on each side. Install a screw eye into the mast on each side. This absolutely works and is almost invisible to the eye. Better than the medieval torture device (spikes) which look ugly and can potentially snag a sail.

 

[Roger1250]

spiders

So now that you have solved the bird problem, what's the scoop on spiders. My YC grows them overnight.!!

 

[Ron]

spider man

Before we got the new docks at the club, they would build a web that would sieze my Windex overnight. Some have sprayed Creepy Crawly (RAID type product) under the toe rail about once a month. It worked for me just fine. It didn't harm the gelcote.

 

[a poor old sailor]

To solve the spider problem:

Get rid of all of those plastic owls, fake snakes, spikes, AOL CDs, and wires. In no time, your boat should be a haven for birds that will eat the spiders.

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persistence]

Bounce!

Locate sheets of Bounce fabric softener around where the spiders congregate. There will be significantly less spiders around. At night, use Hot Shot with a light to kill the rest!

 

[George]

Rick, from Niceville,

You got any thoughts on this?

 

[Rick Webb]

George, You Know I Do

The Spiders are a little tougher to hit though.By the way when y'all come down here to visit do not throw food to the sea gulls, it is the same thing as feeding rats.

 

[George]

Rick, its

4:00 am, and I'm laughing hysterically.Too funny!I'm commin to Niceville someday!

 

[Rick Webb]

I'll Buy the Beer and the Squirrell Bait

Come on down. You probably will want to wait after Labor Day it is a little warm right now.

 

[william]

Bird update

The wire across the spreaders has worked, thank you fellow sailors for your input. My two neighbors are under constant bombardment, I don't want to risk a red ryder bb falling and cracking any ones hatch windows, but I need revenge, I see those big caca birds sitting on my neighbors spreaders, How about a plastic bottle cap shot from a wrist rocket?

 

[Mike]

Use hard candy

William, don't shoot a bird with plastic bottle caps, keep our oceans clean. Use some hard candy it will dissolve.

 

[Moon]

SNAKES!!

Hang a rubber snake from the mast, close to the spreaders.Works for me.

 

[George]

still cracking up over this,

too funny, been laughing all day!Thanks again for your help with my rudder problem, earlier post. Got it back together, and did not use the 5200. Seems to be holding good.Is Niceville near Pennsacola? I just might come, someday.

 

[Rick Webb]

Niceville

we are about 50 miles from Pesacola and nearly the same from Panama City. Probably right about where the next storm hits in a couple of weeks.

 

[Rick Webb]

How About Paint Balls?

Then if you get a really colorful bird you can get more agressive.

 

[Rich]

pigeon spikes

my PO, bless 'im, went through the trouble of gluing a sheet of those pigeon spikes across the top of each set of spreaders; They work without fail. Too bad he didn't glue them on the inside of the boom, where a couple of generations of birds made nests that required a pressure hose to blast out...

 

[Brad Arrington]

Birds, spiders, etc.

It seems you solved your bird/spreader problems, but the solution on this link also works well. http://www.bosunsupplies.com/BirdPrev.cfmFor the cockpit I hve found that birds REALLY don't like monofiliment fishing line, especially if it's kind of loose - seems then have a hard time seeing it untill they land and then are afraid of getting their feet caught up in it. You could rig up a couple of mono lines across your cockpit to keep them out. Cheap, and works excellently on my friend's canvas top. On spiders, I second the Bounce dryer sheet solution. I had a ton of spiders, and after putting drying sheets around the boat they all left. Plus it leaves the cabin smelling fresh instead of musty. Brad

 

[NautiDuck]

Brad - a bit more info please

Brad, I like the solution that you refer to. Does it require all of the lines or just the bottom one to work? The picture has about 6 lines but the descrition focuses on just one. Thanks.