Bird Proofing Your Boat for the Winter

Time to bird proof your boat for the heavy winter months ahead. Fail to do so and you can expect the usual avalanche of bird droppings on your canvas covers, biminis, antennas, windows and all over your decks.

Without effective bird control, large birds like geese, ducks, cormorants and gulls will perch, roost and nest on and around your vessel. Come spring and summer, you’ll be stuck with major cleanup chores. Dried bird droppings are very hard to remove.  And they can cause your antenna gear to seize up and your canvas to tear up. It won’t be easy or cheap to bring your boat to ship-shape condition. You’ll wish you had installed some bird deterrents to keep the pesky birds away. The time to act is now. And what to use are the many effective and humane bird deterrents currently available to boat owners.

Here’s a sampling of what today’s bird control experts recommend:

Wind-Powered Bird Spiders

These devices really work in keeping birds, large and small, off your vessel. Easy to set up wherever birds have become a problem, Bird Spiders’ flailing arms whip wildly in the breeze to swoosh away birds. No more gulls, pigeons or cormorants perching on your deck or roof. Bird spiders come in 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-foot diameter arm lengths to create ever wider circles of protection. The best bird spiders are made in the USA and feature a glue-on base for easy mounting. These will also have a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base for lasting durability in punishing weather. A removable sand bag base lets you position a spider on virtually any surface. Additional mounting bases allow you place spiders on masts and radar units.

The Repeller 360

Similar to Bird Spiders, the Repeller 360 was specifically designed to keep large birds like gulls, cormorants and raptors from perching and roosting on the flat areas on and around your boat. The device features big, reflective “predator eyes” that intimidate birds and prevent them from landing. Since it too is wind powered, the Repeller 360 is easy to set up and requires no electrical power. It rotates continuously, sweeping the area clear of birds and covering a 6-foot diameter.

Stainless Steel Bird Spikes

The ultimate anti-perching, anti-roosting pest bird deterrent, Bird Spikes will deny pest birds access to any lofty area on and around your boat. The most durable bird spikes are made in the USA and guaranteed for 10 years. They’re made of stainless steel embedded in a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base. The spiked strips come in 1”, 3”, 5” and 8” widths and have a 1.5”  base for convenient mounting on narrow ledges and other “tight” areas. The spikes to look for will already come with a glue trough and pre-drilled mounting holes for fast, easy installation. Plastic bird spikes can be equally effective and come in a variety of colors.

How Keep Pest Birds Off Your Stored Boat

If you store your boat on the side of your home, you probably cover it to protect it from the weather. But if you’re like most boat owners who keep their boats at home, you’ve had to contend with bird droppings on your masts, antenna arrays and canvass covers. 

If you live close to any body of water, or if your boat is docked next to your home, bird problems multiply quickly. Gulls, cormorants and geese love to perch and nest on your canvas covers.  Over time, even the toughest covers will become brittle and tear if bird droppings are not washed off frequently.

Leave your boat uncovered and you risk even greater damage to outboard engines, antenna arrays, windows and sliding doors. To keep pest birds away from your boat, professional bird control experts recommend the following:

Bird Spiders

Set up one or two Bird Spiders on “bird problem” areas of your boat and forget about pest birds. Spiders have numerous spindly arms that whip about in the slightest breeze to whisk birds away. Gulls, cormorants, pelicans and pigeons will simply avoid your vessel and move on. Bird spiders come in 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-foot diameter arm lengths so you can match he spider to your specific area frequented by birds. The best bird spiders are made in the USA and feature a glue-on base for simple mounting. There’s even a removable sand-bag base that lets you place a spider on uneven or angled surfaces. Additional mounting bases let you place spiders on masts and radar units. The best bird spiders will feature a UV-protected polycarbonate base for lasting durability. 

Repeller 360°

This is another wind-powered device that gets the job done. Easy to set up, the Repeller 360° features two "sails" mounted at either ends of a 6' stainless steel arm. Each sail has a reflective bird predator eye. When the wind spins the arms a full 360°, they intimidate and frighten any birds daring to land on your boat. The wind powered arms rotate continuously, covering a full 6-foot diameter to prevent even the most determined pest birds from landing on your vessel.

Stainless Steel Bird Spikes

The king of bird deterrents, Stainless Steel Bird Spikes have been used by boat owners for years around the world. These anti-perching, anti-roosting devices won’t allow pest birds--particularly large birds like gulls, cormorants and geese--access to land anywhere you place them on your boat. The best bird spikes are made of stainless steel embedded in a UV-protected polycarbonate base. They're made in the USA and guaranteed for 10 years. The spikes come in four different splay widths--1”, 3”, 5” and 8”, yet each can be mounted on just a 1.5”  narrow base. These quality made spikes will feature a glue trough and pre-drilled mounting holes for fast, easy installation.

Effective Bird Control for Boats and Marinas

Birds can be a costly nuisance around boats and marinas. When they perch and roost on seaside structures, bird droppings can deface and damage signs, windows, rooftop HVAC units and rain gutters. Docks, railings, walkways, boat houses, pilings and swim platforms can quickly become inundated with bird droppings, leaving an unsightly mess that can create a slip-and-fall hazard. Large birds like gulls, geese, ducks and cormorants can “unload” sizable droppings that require frequent and costly cleanups.

Without effective bird control, boat owners and boat rental outfits need to constantly clean their boats of droppings. Left to accumulate, these droppings can damage boat covers, spreaders, window gaskets, sails, outboard engines, sliding doors, deck surfaces and antenna arrays. 

Both boat owners and seaside businesses need to be proactive when it comes to bird deterrents. Achieving effective bird control calls for proven devices that deter birds humanely and keep them away. Here are some devices you should consider to keep pest birds away from your boat or marina business:

The Repeller 360

Using a large, wind-powered sweeping arm, The Repeller 360 is designed to keep large birds like pigeons, crows, gulls, cormorants and raptors away from both boats and marina structures. The Repeller 360° is “armed” with  large, reflective “predator eyes” that add to its threatening appearance and function. The device is easy to set up on virtually any flat surface. Rotating continuously in the slightest breeze, The Repeller 360 covers a full 6-foot diameter to keep birds away.

Bird Spiders

Also wind powered and quite effective,  Bird Spiders feature wildly flailing arms that whip about in the breeze to frighten birds away. A few bird spiders placed strategically on rooftops, canvas covers and boat decks will cause gulls, cormorants, pelicans and pigeons to simply move on. Bird spiders come in 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-foot diameter arm lengths to create wider and wider  circles of deterrence. The best bird spiders are made in the USA and feature a glue-on base for effortless mounting. These spiders will also have a UV-protected polycarbonate base for lasting durability in harsh water-front weather. Removable  sand bag bases are also available, which let you set bird spiders up virtually anywhere. Additional mounting bases allow for easy placement on masts and radar units.

Stainless Steel Bird Spikes

Used by boat owners and marinas worldwide, Stainless Steel Bird Spikes provide anti-perching, ant-roosting protection for rooflines, parapet walls, signage  and other lofty areas. Installed on boats,they prevent birds from landing on masts, rooftops, and areas around antenna systems. The most rugged and seaworthy bird spikes are made in the USA of stainless steel, with pins embedded in a UV-protected polycarbonate base. These spikes are guaranteed for 10 years. The spikes come in 1”, 3”, 5” and 8” widths and have a 1.5”  base, which allows you to mount the spikes on very narrow surfaces. The best spikes also have a built-in a glue trough and feature pre-drilled mounting holes for fast, easy installation.