Bird Control to Keep Your Pool and Spa Free of Pest Birds

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you own a home with a pool or spa, it can be a great source of pride and an ideal amenity in the summertime. As a responsible homeowner, you no doubt take good care of your pool or spa. You clean it on a regular basis and add the required chemicals to keep it sanitary and safe.

Regrettably, a single bird dropping can render your pool or spa unsafe, for bird droppings can carry any of 60 known diseases. Bird droppings can also contaminate the railings and ledges of a pool or spa. Worse yet, slippery bird droppings on pool diving boards and ladder steps can cause divers to slip and fall, resulting in possible injury.

Fortunately, there are a number of effective bird deterrents you can use to keep pest birds away from your pool or spa. Here are two bird control measures you might consider:

Visual Bird Deterrents

Sometimes called Bird Scare Deterrents, these inexpensive bird distracters include Flash Tape and Reflective Banners, which reflect sunlight and snap in the breeze. You can also get Scare Eye Diverters, large teardrop shaped plastic panels emblazoned with a “mock” predator eye. Finally, there are Bird Scare Balloons, which are similar to diverters in that they are covered with large predator eyes to spook birds. These visual deterrents attach easily to patio covers or any elevated area near your pool or spa. Balloons can also be filled partially with water to skim the surface of your pool or spa. The only thing to remember about these visual bird deterrents is that you should move them around from time to time to keep pest birds on the alert.

Sound Bird Control

Often referred to as Sound Bird Deterrents, these devices emit bird distress and predator calls that resemble normal bird sounds one hears every day. They won’t irritate pets or your friends and neighbors. Birds, on the other hand will regard them as a threat and leave. One sonic bird control system currently on the market can emit distress and predator calls for 22 different species of birds. It has a built-in speaker and will be protect your pool or spa from pigeons, crows, starlings, swallows, gulls, woodpeckers, sparrows, grackles, cormorants and many other birds. The unit features a volume control and can be programmed to turn on or off at night.

Scarecrow Bird Deterrent

This motion activated device confronts any bird entering its radius of protection with a harmless water blast, startling sprinkler sound, and realistic looking bird-like moving head.

Scarecrows connect easily to most garden hoses and offer over 1,200 square feet of protection that extends 35 feet out by 45 feet wide. These devices are inexpensive to operate, providing up to 1,000 "firings" on a single 9-volt battery. You can even adjust their sensitivity and range to meet the specific needs of your pool or spa.

Bird Control Strategies for Homeowners with Blue Heron Blues

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you own a home near the ocean, river, pond, or lake, you may have had a run in with blue herons. These tall, light blue-grey birds have long black legs, pointed beaks, black bellies, and a black stripe along their white heads.

While they may be beautiful to look at, they can present a nuisance to your property. If you have a Koi pond, for example, you and your Koi may not be too happy to see them.  For in addition to amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles, birds, and small mammals, blue herons enjoy feasting on fish.

If blue herons are giving you the blues, here are some humane and effective bird deterrents the pros use:

Bird Spiders

Like most birds, blue herons don’t like spindly things that can strike their legs as they attempt to land. Bird Spiders have long tentacles that whip erratically in the breeze to make birds too nervous to land on rooftops or fence lines. Bird spiders are easy to set up on just about any even surface. The devices come in 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-foot diameter arm lengths to create ever widening zones of deterrence. The best bird spiders come with a glue-on base, so you can easily attach them to most surfaces.

Plastic Bird Netting

An easy-to-handle and install bird deterrent, Plastic Bird Netting creates a physical barrier that will keep blue herons from specific areas of your home.  The netting is typically sold in two roll sizes: 14 x 100 feet and 14 x 200 feet. You’ll want a relatively large mesh to block out herons. You’ll also want to invest in high quality, durable, U.V.-protected polypropylene netting, which is strong, light and virtually invisible. Nowadays, bird netting even comes in various colors to blend in with your home.

Solar-Powered Bird Repellers

Equipped with motor-driven “arms” that spin around continuously at 30 RPM, Solar-Powered Bird Repellers make it really rough for herons to land anywhere near them. You can easily position these repellers wherever herons gather most often. The best bird repellers come with adjustable arms that protect up to a 5-foot diameter area. And while they are solar powered, the best devices will also run at night or on overcast days, since they can store the sun's energy for later use.

Scarecrow Bird Deterrents

A silent sentry that springs to life the second a blue heron enters its radius of protection, Scarecrows do a convincing job of keeping birds away from your home. The motion-activated devices greet herons with a harmless water blast, startling sprinkler sound, and realistic looking bird-like moving head.  Scarecrows connect easily to your average  garden hose and will protect a 1,200 square foot area that extends 35 feet out by 45 feet wide. The best scarecrows will deliver up to 1,000 "firings" on a single 9-volt battery, and you can adjust their sensitivity and range.