Good evening, all.

I recently built a roof over my deck, and it's a great thing. I get a lot more use out of the deck now.

But as an odd side effect, I get a lot more bird poop on the deck. I'm guessing the birds like to hang out under the cover too.

Does a plastic owl make a decent bird-deterrent?



Or maybe there's something else I should do? I did think about a rubber snake, but the neighborhood doesn't need to hear me scream like a girl every time I step out and see a snake on the deck.

For a week.

I’ve used that exact owl with good success. I hung it for a short bungee cord to give it a little movement.

We had a tree that birds loved but was where we parked cars. At certain times of the year birds loved that tree and would crap all over the cars. That owl was a huge success in my situation.

I follow a YouTuber who put one on his new chicken coop. Didn't keep hawks away from his chickens.

It did not work for us.

Sometimes plastic Owls work and sometimes they don't.

They won't be on your deck because they will sit on top of the owls head.

Researched this subject some years ago. Summary -- birds are smart and know when a deterrent is neither natural nor alive.

quote:

They won't be on your deck because they will sit on top of the owls head

I put one of those in my garden. The birds just shit on it.

Sounds like a plastic owl is not the preferred method. Is there something better, or should I simply plan to wash the deck more often?

Since the deck has a roof you could put a screen around it.

quote:

Does a plastic owl make a decent bird-deterrent?

It might at first, but I give a week at most before the birds figure it out.

For awhile, we had ducks hang out by/in our swimming pool and I got tired of chasing them away. I got a pair of plastic owls and never had a visit by the ducks since. I hear they visit my neighbor's pools.

No the owls don't work. Within a few days the birds start shitting all over the owls. One thing I found from years of waterside living in Florida is that a small portable radio tuned to a talk show and volume set low tends to make the go shit on your neighbors dock.

It hasn’t deterred the cardinal that shits all over my wife’s car all year.

It’ll keep plastic birds away.

Also attract crows.

I used to put one out on my front fence post once in a while to watch the crows dive bomb it and knock it off.

Plastic snake helps. Also I remember my parents hung aluminum pie plates on a fig tree. The movement and light reflection kept them away as I recall.

quote:

Originally posted by Anush:

I put one of those in my garden. The birds just shit on it.

I just spit out a mouth full of coffee when I read this reply. Anush,you made my day with this post.