Seagulls on Bimini

Every year we have the distressful task of cleaning the bimini after a season of the seagulls have left behind a mess. Any suggestions for keeping seagulls off the top of a bimini?

As silly as it may look, I have got to using those mylar streamers on my VHF antennas. They keep moving even in the slightest breeze and have seemed to discourage the gulls and herons. I'm having less of a problem with a mess than I did before.

Another good item is a Bird B Gone bird spider on a sand bag base.

Take down the bimini? Throw the crackers on your neighbor's bimini?
Seriously though, that's a tough one.

Stick a few stuffed cats up there...gulls hate em.

I tried an Owl, no good.
I moved from a dock where mine was the only boat to one where there were other, bigger boats and found that the seagulls had already made one of those their launching spot, so mine was left clean.

I hadn't had much of a problem until this past year. What I did was make up some criss-crosssing lines of 80 lb monofilament that I was able to suspend above most of the Bimini and for the area that I couldn't I placed 2 bird "spiders". Gulls hate almost invisible lines above where they are trying to land. The bird spiders are similar. When it's time to get underway I can take down the spiders easily and lower the monofilament so it's just sitting on top of the Bimini so it can't been seen.

Ken

ragin cajun said:

Stick a few stuffed cats up there...gulls hate em.

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Since I started using mono the birds have found a new home.

At least they don’t drop whole clams on you down here.

dhays said:

Another good item is a Bird B Gone bird spider on a sand bag base.

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That's what we have used for the past few years on our Bimini with good, although not perfect, results. Get one (or more) with a radius sufficient to overhang the sides. The buggers will land on any small exposed area.

We also use Bird B Gone bird spikes on the radome, installed with high strength double sided tape, with excellent results.

hmmm.....perhaps if we merge this thread with one that discusses using a flare gun for self defense, we might find a solution.....

After the pelican party on my bimini , I installed a hardtop.

Whenever faced with bird issues, I ran the radar a few times and they migrated elsewhere. We had the advantage of living aboard so could catch it early and repeat until they got the message.

kchace said:

...What I did was make up some criss-crosssing lines of 80 lb monofilament that I was able to suspend above most of the Bimini ...

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And we have a winner!

Birds will eventually get used to anything; fake snakes, owls, streamers, shiny things, whatever. I've seen them sitting on top of those gull sweep things. But if they can't take off and land safely, they will go elsewhere.

The only other thing I've heard works, but haven't tried, is leaving a dead bird lying around. Apparently any bird will do, doesn't have to be the same species. As long as the mono works, I'll put off trying this method.

I have had really good success with the S/S spyders. The Gull Sweep was a disaster. It was on a sand bag stand on the bimini and blew over a bit but would still go around. Problem was that it would rub on the bimini in about 180 degrees of the circle. It cut a very neat half circle hole in my bimini in the 2 days I was gone. Not a happy camper when the canvas guy charged $1800 for a new bimini. Threw the Gull Sweep away and bought the spyder things and they worked great.

dwhatty said:

That's what we have used for the past few years on our Bimini with good, although not perfect, results. Get one (or more) with a radius sufficient to overhang the sides. The buggers will land on any small exposed area.

We also use Bird B Gone bird spikes on the radome, installed with high strength double sided tape, with excellent results.

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Yes, the prior owner of my boat used the spiked on the radome and TV sat antenna. They seem to work pretty well. I have considered adding a mono filament above my arch as well.

Even so, I always have pieces of mussels and crabs scattered on the boat.

I have a black plastic cobra snake up there - bimini is clean.

menzies said:

I have a black plastic cobra snake up there - bimini is clean.

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Interesting. Since we don't have any snake that birds would fear around here I'm not sure if it would work in my area. I sure like the idea however.

We have a lot of Canadian Geese around here that have decided that the whole migration thing is so last century. They stick around all year long and make a mess of any open green space. On my drive to my remote office there is a marina that placed a black silhouette of a coyote (which there are a lot of in the area) on the property. I never see geese there and even though I know it is just a silhouette, know it is there, and always see it during my weekly drive, my first reaction when I catch it in my peripheral vision is to think "there is a coyote". So I'm betting the snake would work well if the birds are familiar with it as a predator.

dhays said:

We have a lot of Canadian Geese around here that have decided that the whole migration thing is so last century. They stick around all year long and make a mess of any open green space. On my drive to my remote office there is a marina that placed a black silhouette of a coyote (which there are a lot of in the area) on the property. I never see geese there and even though I know it is just a silhouette, know it is there, and always see it during my weekly drive, my first reaction when I catch it in my peripheral vision is to think "there is a coyote". So I'm betting the snake would work well if the birds are familiar with it as a predator.

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Those are called "Canada Geese". They don't carry a passport, so will never become Canadian. They make a bigger mess than any other bird except Herons. At one of our YC Outstations there stand a row of full size Eagles. The CG relocated as soon as the Eagles arrived and have never returned. It has been at least a dozen years. They get washed annually and repainted on work parties every few years.