Birds are lovely creatures that keep the ecosystem alive and healthy. However, they can become a source of pain for some due to the droppings they leave behind. After all, it takes a lot of time and effort to clean the mess. Seeing the bird poop float on your porch, or pool area is anything but a pleasant site.
Do not be too worried. Check out these 12 tips to keep birds from pooping on your deck, porch, patio, and pool area.
How to Keep Birds from Pooping on Your Deck, Porch, Patio & Pool
1. Plastic Birds
However, making use of this trick will help you scare away the rest of the birds. A hawk or an owl is usually known as a predator bird. They are the ones that the rest feel intimidated by.
All you have to do is to place the plastic predator bird in a visible place where the rest will be able to see it and get frightened.
2. Ultrasonic Sound System
You can make use of an ultrasonic sound system to scare all the birds away. It will keep them from pooping on your deck, porch, etc. The ultrasonic sound system emits a high-pitched sound that will be undetectable to human beings. It is one to keep the birds away from coming into your porch, pool, etc.
The ultrasonic sound system can also help to create sound effects that will make the birds feel that the predator birds are close by and they will fly far. The sound has the effect of causing distress to the birds that keeps them from coming into your premises.
Depending on the quality and the kind of ultrasonic sound system you want to invest in, you can easily get one in the range of $30 to $200.
3. Hanging Mirrors
If you do not want to invest too much all at once in things, just as a test, you can hang a few small mirrors in the area that birds visit often in your house.
There are two ways of making this trick work. They are as follows:
- Birds do not like any shiny things so they won’t bother coming into your surroundings when they see the hanging mirrors.
- The hanging mirrors will make the birds think that another bird is already there which will make them feel that there won’t be anything that they will find to eat for themselves.
The best part about this trick is that it is quite inexpensive. This means that you make do with any old mirrors that you might already have at home. You do not necessarily have to invest in a new one to hang in your porch area.
4. Spinning Pinwheels
Pinwheels are quite popular amongst children. They are both shiny and colorful at the same time. It is only a great toy for children but they come in handy when used to scare off birds.
During windy days, the pinwheels spin automatically which causes friction. The friction then makes a noise which helps in scaring away the birds. There is a light that reflects through the metallic material of the pinwheel that also helps in scaring away the birds.
You can put up the pinwheel in a more visible place, especially where the wind can help cause friction automatically. Ideally, you would want to place it in a location where you feel the birds come often to eat and poop.
You would find pinwheels in many colors. However, you should only opt for the ones that are the most colorful or the metallic shiny ones. If you have kids in the house, you might already have pinwheels that you can make use of.
5. Wind Chimes
If you thought that wind chimes only serve one purpose, you are seriously mistaken. Wind chimes are not only aesthetically pleasing when you put them up in your outdoor area but they are also quite useful when it comes to scaring away the birds.
Like pinwheels and hanging mirrors, wind chimes are also both shiny and reflective. This means that they automatically become another deterrent that you can use to keep your outdoor area clean from bird poop.
Another thing about wind chimes is that it creates a motion when the wind hits it, making a sound that is pleasing to the human ear. However, birds do not appreciate the sound and are scared of it.
6. Bird Diverters
If you are someone who is looking to invest in something aesthetically pleasing to scare the birds away, the reflective bird diverters are not for you. However, one thing is for sure, they will certainly scare off the birds and keep them from coming into your surroundings. The best part is that they are quite inexpensive. So, you do not have to worry about that.
The reflective bird diverters are like eyes. Yes, you read that correctly. They will make the birds feel like the predator birds are waiting to hunt them down which will stop them from pooping in your deck, porch or pool area.
Reflective bird diverters can be easily hung on a tree with strings. You can get them from a nearby hardware store.
7. Fishing Line
All of the above ways are great for keeping the birds away from the deck or porch area but what about the pool? What about when you have a pool party with your friends and you are worried that the birds will mess up your plan? In such a case, you must make use of a fishing line.
The fishing line trick will work best for pools that are above the surface area. It is because the placement of the fishing line will become a barrier for the birds and keep them away.
8. Pool Predators
Like plastic predators that you can hang on a tree or put up on a fence, you can also get floating pool predators that will keep the birds from pooping in your pool. You do not have to worry about where you will get them from because they are easily available at a hardware or a pool store.
With floating pool predators, you can get a variety of reptiles like crocodiles or snakes that will help in scaring away the birds. If a bird sees a pool predator when flying up your poolside, it will get frightened and would think twice before landing on your premises.
9. Beach Balls
If you are someone who does not like the idea of filling up your swimming pool with reptiles and all kinds of creepy predators, you can try this alternative of putting up floating balls instead. The thing about beach balls is that they are both colorful and will keep moving in the pool area to keep the birds away from intervening in your space.
If you have kids in the house, chances are that you might have these floating beach balls in there somewhere. The beach balls won’t even look odd in the pool and would feel like an accessory that you have put in.
The best part about floating beach balls is that they are the cheapest option that you will find on this list for keeping the birds away from your pool.
4. Remove Birdbaths
If you are someone who has put birdbaths and fountains in your porch or deck area, it is time to get rid of them. Birdbaths and fountains are a way of inviting the birds into your space. So, if you have put in a birdbath or a fountain, you cannot complain about the birds invading your space and pooping around.
If it is something that you have invested too much money in and do not want to entirely let go of, you can also consider relocating the birdbath or the fountain. Taking away a nice hangout spot from the birds is a strong sign that you will be sending out to them, stating that they are no longer welcomed in your space.
11. Trim Shrubs
If you have a lot of trees around your house, it is time to trim back the shrubs. Bushy trees are also quite inviting for the birds. They feel safe in such surroundings because they can easily lay eggs there and make a nest.
Not just the trees, you should also consider trimming the lining in your deck or patio area. These places are the most liked by birds and that is where all the mess starts taking place.
One thing that you need to be mindful of when trimming the shrubs is to not harm the eggs or the nest of the birds. If you find them, it is only better to leave them there and wait for the birds to take them away.
12. Eliminate Food Sources
If you are someone who has installed bird feeders somewhere in the outdoor area of your house, chances are that birds will start seeing your space as a source of food. To be able to undo this, you need to get rid of the bird feeders that you had previously put up.
Seeds or leftover bread pieces are the most liked by birds and they will certainly come to a place where they see them. After all, it is a source of getting food for them every day.
A bird feeder can also become a headache to clean since the birds won’t know where to poop and where to eat from. If you do not entirely want to get rid of it then you should consider relocating the bird feeder to a place that you do not care much about.
Conclusion
You can easily get rid of birds from messing with your deck, porch, pool area if you follow the above-mentioned tricks continuously to see what works for you and what does not.
Did you find this article useful? Let us know in the comments below.
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