Who says disco is dead?

[ancora]

Herons have moved into the neighborhood so I installed two disco balls from Party City. It looks like they are keeping the "pterodactyls" off the boat.

 

[Blue Heron]

I am partial to them myself.

 

[beachbum29]

We have remained pretty much bird crap free...

Watch, now we will get pelted.

 

[O C Diver]

It takes a tough man to make a tender heron.

Apologies to Frank Perdue.

Ted

 

[CaptTom]

Not sure about herons, but most birds are easily scared away by anything new. Once it's not new any more, they're back. That said, even the most primitive bird HAS to have a natural aversion to disco, so maybe you're on to something.

I like herons too. But if they started fouling my canvas and decks, I'm sure that would change pretty fast.

 

[ancora]

I'm afraid so. A man came up with a glue on "star device" to keep seals off of swim steps and docks in Newport Beach as they were really causing problems, in some cases sinking boats. They worked until the seals got used to them. Went through there last month and noticed the boats are using rows Home Depot pails to keep the critters off.

 

[Blue Heron]

I'm afraid so. A man came up with a glue on "star device" to keep seals off of swim steps and docks in Newport Beach as they were really causing problems, in some cases sinking boats. They worked until the seals got used to them. Went through there last month and noticed the boats are using rows Home Depot pails to keep the critters off.

The Herons at my marina are very territorial. They chase the seagulls out.

 

[koliver]

Herons,like most birds, like to lighten the load on takeoff. Problem is, what they jettison leaves a splat that is 3x bigger than what a seagull leaves. I would rather deal with seagulls.

 

[Steve]

This guy doesn't seem impressed by the rubber snakes

 

[loafs and fishes]

This guy doesn't seem impressed by the rubber snakes

On my boat the birds are deterred by the spiders.

 

[CaptTom]

I guess it's time to mention the one sure-fire bird repellent: monofilament fishing line. String it along their landing/takeoff path and they won't bother you. Just one or two lines, maybe from a mast or radome down to the pulpit. They can get used to owls, whirligigs, even rubber snakes (thanks for the pic Steve!). But they don't like getting tangled in anything on landing, or risk being slowed down on takeoff.

The one thing this doesn't protect from is fly-by bombing runs. I had one heron foul my whole foredeck once this summer, so I know it can be much worse than the usual seagull splat.

 

[Steve]

Monofilament works great, I have a single strand stretched over my fish cleaning station on a dock I had lots of bird problems before none since. I believe it scares them when they bump into it trying to land not knowing what it is or being able to see it.
I havent put it on the boat because I know it would be me forgetting it was there and walking into it. I don't have a serious bird problem where the boat is.

 

[Tom.B]

A boat in a marina we used to be in used a motion sensing lawn sprinkler. The swing-arm impact type. Worked like a charm. Like using a water bottle to keep a cat off the counter.

 

[ancora]

I have five lines of monofilament (20# test) running from the radar arch to the front of the bimini to keep the birds off. It works well but we still get an occasional fly-by.

 

[CPseudonym]

To those using monofilament line:

Do you have spider issues?

How often do you remove it?

 

[ancora]

No spider issues. Never take it off as we have a 12 month boating season here in southern California. After baking in the California sun for few months, the mono gets brittle and breaks, but is replaced immediately.

 

[CaptTom]

I've never (knock wood) had spider problems. I've had an occasional cobweb, but never what I'd call a problem. So forgive the dumb question. Do the seagulls keep the spiders away? I guess I don't get the connection. I'm pretty sure the spiders would love the monofilament; they'd anchor their webs on it. I kinda like spiders, their webs look cool in the morning dew and they eat bugs. But like the herons, I'm sure my attitude would change if I had too many of them!

 

[Steve]

Spiders around here make a mess worse than the herons, they eat bugs and cr@p magic marker ink.

 

[FlyWright]

My experience has been that one pest is mutually exclusive of the other. In sheds in the CA Delta, we have serious spider issues. Mud dauber wasps, too. But seagulls aren't a problem in sheds.

Out in the open where seagulls and other birds can be a problem, spiders are typically not an issue, although mud daubers can still be a problem.

Just my experience...YMMV.

 

[CPseudonym]

Interesting observation Al. Have been wondering if my spider problem was unique to "enclosed" sheds. Considering changing marinas and was concerned trading my enclosed shed for an open sided shed would turn my spider issue into a bird one.

 

[capt.George]

For you guys with spider problems: the best product I've ever used was BENGAL ROACH SPRAY. Any others out there?
Love those disco balls

 

[Moonstruck]

My boats are stored in fresh and salt water. The one stored undercover in fresh water is plagued with spiders. The one in salt water is not. For some reason it appears that spiders avoid salt water environment.

 

[hmason]

Just a thought: at our yacht club we had a terrible problem with geese on the lawn. Tried lots of ways to get rid of them as they make quite a mess. Then we tried a cutout of a black dog. The geese disappeared---for a few days. Once they got used to it they returned. Then we tried moving the "dog" to a new location every couple of days. Viola, no more geese. So perhaps the disco balls, etc. would continue to work if they were relocated every now and then. Maybe the birds get used to them never moving.

 

[Steve]

Suspend SC insecticide works well on spiders and other insects it is expensive but goes a long way.

Suspend SC Insecticide