If you’ve ever wondered how to stop birds from pooping on your deck, read on. We’ll provide you with some effective solutions.
Many homeowners dream of having decking as an extension of their living space. Decking allows you to relax outside with friends and family during the summer. However, your dreams can quickly become a nightmare when you find that birds keep pooping on your decking.
Bird poo can cause your decking to look and smell bad and, in the long term, may even damage your decking. It’s also disgusting to step in bird poo and even worse to be pooped on from above while relaxing.
Ways to Keep Birds from Pooping on Deck?
To get rid of bird poo, you can pressure wash your decking. However, if you want to avoid having to do this job repeatedly, there are many things you can do to prevent birds from pooping on your deck.
There are many other reasons to try and stop birds from visiting your deck and sitting on railings. Birds tend to sing very early in the morning and may congregate on your decking to do so. They can also poop on any furniture you leave out on your deck. You don’t want to end up sitting in bird poop. Let’s look at the best solutions to these problems.
1. Buy a Plastic Predator Bird
In most likely that you’ll have small garden birds landing on your decking, such as sparrows, starling, and blackbirds. These species can be kept away by using a plastic predator bird. You can buy a plastic owl or hawk from your local home improvement store and sit this on your roof, decking rail, or on a nearby tree branch. This will scare away small birds and keep them away from your deck.
It’s a good idea to move the plastic bird around every now and again; otherwise, the birds may get too comfortable with it, and it won’t deter them.
2. Use an Ultrasonic Sound System
There are various ultrasonic sound systems on the market that will stop birds from pooping on the deck. These emit a very high-pitched sound to scare away birds, rodents, and even insects but can’t be detected by humans.
These systems are generally motion-activated and will start to make a noise when a bird flies near your decking. Some ultra-sonic sound systems even play a sound that imitates a distressed bird or the sound of a predator. These noises tell the birds to keep away as the area isn’t safe.
3. Hanging mirrors
If you’re searching for a cheap solution, you may like to buy some small mirrors to hand near your deck. Most birds don’t like shiny things, particularly if they are moving and will be scared away. Birds will also be able to see their own reflection, which they will think is another bird.
4. Spinning pinwheels
Pinwheels are moving toys aimed at children but can also be used to scare birds away. They need a breeze to spin, so if you live in a climate that doesn’t get much wind, this may not be an option for you. Pinwheels make noise and turn frantically, scaring birds away. Some are made with reflective materials that catch the sun, which the birds don’t like.
5. Metal wind chimes
Wind chimes act in much the same way as pinwheels; they are shinny, catch the light, move and, make a noise that will deter birds. The noise produced by a wind chime will be unfamiliar to birds, and they will stay away from your decking.
Many people find that wind chimes are a great addition to your decking as they make a nice noise that’s relaxing. Most wind chimes come with a small metal hook, which can be used to hang the windchimes on your decking’s railings or from roof joists or tree branches.
6. Reflective bird diverters
You can also buy reflective bird deterrents that work in a similar way to mirrors and have been designed specifically to scare birds. These are tags that can be hung around your decking, and while not the nicest things to look at do work well and are inexpensive. Each tag has an image that looks like an owl’s eye. The wind also helps by blowing the tags, which makes the birds think the predators are moving. Reflective bird diverters can be purchased from most hardware stores.
7. Use Bird spikes
You may also like to buy bird spikes which can be run around the perimeter of your decking railings. These plastic strips have metal spikes that face upwards and mean that the birds can’t land. You can attach spikes to your roof, awnings, and railings.
The spikes work well and don’t hurt the birds; they will see them before they try and land and then fly away again. If you’re trying to deter smaller birds, you’ll need spikes that are closer together. Alternatively, you can use taught fishline, which can be run the length of your decking railings. This will make it tricky for small birds to land, and they will fly away again.
8. Make the area less appealing to birds
Most homeowners don’t want to deter birds from their yard completely; they just want to keep them away from their decking. If you have a larger yard, you can add a bird feeder or fountain away from the decking. This will encourage birds to use the area but will keep them away from your deck.
If you already have a birdbath and are thinking of getting rid of it, don’t. This is the bird’s source of water for bathing and drinking; removing it may make it difficult for them to find other water sources.
9. Clear away debris
It’s also a good idea to clear the area that surrounds your decking so that it’s not a good habitat for insects. If you have any overgrown areas, grass cuttings, or bushes, these areas may become infested with insects and create a good food source for birds. Flocks of birds will also see overgrown bushes as a great nesting site. Keeping the area neat and tidy will discourage birds.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many great ways to scare birds from your deck, which will stop them from pooping there. It’s a good idea to use a few of these solutions and change them every few weeks. If the birds get used to a plastic owl, wind chime, or mirror being in the same place, it may not deter them as it once did.