Frequently Asked Questions

Company / Product Questions:

How do I choose the right product?

How Fast do products ship? Is Express shipping Available? 

How do I check the status of my order?

Pest Bird Questions:

What are pest birds? 

Are pest birds protected? 

Do birds carry disease? 

Specific Bird Problems: 

Birds on Boats 

Biminis & Canvas Covers 

Hand Rails

Radars 

Masts / Spreaders

Birds Nesting in a Boat House 

Birds Making a mess of a dock or swim platform

Canadian Geese

Company / Product Questions:

How do I choose the right product?
The type of pest bird, the location they are posing a problem, and if they are nesting or not, will help determine the best product for the situation. The sales team at Bird Free Boats is more than happy to help guide you to choose the right product for your situation simply email your question to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Top

How Fast do products ship? Is Express shipping Available?
We keep our items in stock at all times. We will notify you when placing an order if an item is out of stock. Orders generally ship the day after the order is received. We ship Fed-Ex Ground from Southern California.

Top

How do I check the status of my order?
When you place an order, you will immediately be emailed your invoice and order number. Once the product has shipped, you will be emailed the tracking number.

Top

Pest Bird Questions:

What are pest birds?
Though there isn’t a universal definition explaining what a pest bird is, three species are commonly labeled as pest birds in the United States, the Feral Pigeon, the English Starling, and the House Sparrow, all of which are invasive, non-native species. Other species such as Grackles, Canadian Geese, Swallow’s, Cormorants, Seagulls and Crows have been hailed as common pest birds. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife department, “Any bird, a cardinal, chickadee or dove, can become a "problem" when it does something unpleasant. What's unpleasant depends on what the bird is doing, and how you react.”

Top

Are pest birds protected?
There are currently over 800 species of birds protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Treaty basically prohibits people from pursuing, hunting, taking, capturing, killing or selling protected birds. The statute does not discriminate between live or dead birds and also grants full protection to any bird parts including feathers, eggs and nests.
That being said, it is perfectly legal to use bird deterrents to protect your boat from pest birds, as long as you are not harming the bird, or disturbing an active nest.
To see a detailed list of birds protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Act: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/intrnltr/mbta/mbtandx.html

Top

Do birds carry disease?
Yes, birds do carry over 60 diseases transmittable to humans. Bird roosts and nests can also host ectoparasites, like bird mites.

People are most at risk when they are constantly being exposed to bird droppings. The CDC notes that some are more susceptible to contracting diseases than others “Some people are more likely than others to get diseases from birds. A person's age and health status may affect his or her immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick. People who are more likely to get diseases from birds include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS, and people being treated for cancer.”
It is very important that you keep yourself and any employees working to clean up bird droppings properly protected. Email us for tips on cleanup: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For more information, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/HEALTHYPETS/animals/birds.htm

Top

Specific Bird Problems:

Birds on Boats
The masts and spreaders of boats provide perfect perch for pest birds, not to mention canvas covers, radars, and railing. Marinas offer countless boats, docks, and opportunities for birds to land. We have a few great products to help boat owner’s deal with pest birds. The Bird Spider is a simple product that uses motion to keep birds away. The steel arms of the Bird Spider bounce and sway in the wind, frightening away birds from the boat. There are a few different mounting options designed specifically for use on boats to choose from. The Repeller, a solar powered bird deterrent, can also be used on boats. This unit is ideal for flat surfaces such as canopies or covers, swim platforms, or docks. The continuous sweeping motion of the rods will keep the birds away from the area. Other boat owners have also had success using any of the visual deterrents like the Mylar flash tape, Bird-B-Gone Balloon, or Scare Eye Diverters.

Top

Biminis & Canvas Covers
Birds such as seagulls, pigeons and cormorants love to sit on biminis or canvas covers. Usually they provide a nice flat surface suspended above the boat. Bird droppings are unsightly and difficult to clean; they can also stain and corrode materials. There are a few products that are ideal for these areas: the Bird Spider, and the Solar Bird Repeller. The bird spider can set right on top of a bimini or canvas cover with the optional sand bag base. The arms will move and bounce in the wind, scaring off birds. The Solar Bird Repeller has a 5-foot telescoping rod that spins continuously, sweeping birds off the cover. The solar repeller has a solar panel and rechargeable batteries.

Top

Hand Rails
Hand rails provide a nice perch over water, where birds can lookout for food, and predators. The Bird spider is available with a rail mount that easily clamps over hand rails. The spiders’ arms move in the wind, scaring off pest birds. The bird spider is easy to remove and store away when you are ready to take your vessel out.

Top

Radars
Bids will often choose the highest point on a structure as a perch. When birds sit atop of radars the droppings can accumulate over the radar in hard to clean spots. Bird spikes will work well to keep birds from landing on radars. They can be glued or tied down, and are affective for pigeons, seagulls, and cormorants.

Top

Masts / Spreaders
The Bird Spikes can be used on masts, spreaders, riggings and even the Radar Antennae.  It is easy to apply using zip ties to secure, then when you want to use the boat simply remove the spikes and you are on your way.  The Bird Spiders also work very well on masts, spreaders and railings.  You can install the Bird Spiders using one of the optional bases to just about any area of your boat.  The stainless steel “Arms” moving in the breeze will deter even the largest of sea birds such as pelicans.  As with the Bird Spikes, you just simply remove and store the bird spiders when you are ready to use your boat.  Both choices are economical to use, and easy to install.  It sure beats cleaning poop!

Top

Birds Nesting in a Boat House
Boat houses provide shelter from the elements and predators. Scents in the nesting material and droppings will lead the bird back to their own nest. The most important step in getting rid of the birds will be to make sure all of the nesting materials and droppings are cleaned away, and the area disinfected. Calling a pest control professional to help aid with the clean up and installation is your best bet. Bird droppings carry disease, and the proper protection is a must. Once the nests and droppings are cleaned up, there are several products that can help. The best way to keep birds out of an eave is to block them out with netting. Netting acts as a physical barrier, blocking the birds from getting into the eave areas. The bird slope and spikes can also be used to prevent birds from nesting. 

Top

Birds Making a mess of a dock or swim platform
Geese, ducks, gulls and other birds are notorious for using docks, and swim platforms as waterfront perches. The Bird Spider and Solar Bird Repeller work well for both swim platforms and docks, by using movement to deter birds from the area. Bird Spiders and spikes can be used to prevent birds from sitting on pilings. For docks: many people string the flash tape along the length of the dock, the birds will be frightened or confused by the shiny reflective surface and will want to avoid the area. Some people even use the Scarecrow motion activated sprinkler to keep birds off docks. The scarecrow sprays out a stream of water 25’x35’ every time motion is sensed.

Top

Canadian Geese
Geese will respond to audio, visual, and taste aversion products. Many wildlife specialists suggest that using an integrated approach works best, that is using a combination of products to rid them from your property. Typically Canada Geese enter properties to graze on the grass. We carry four different products to keep Geese away. The Migrate Goose Repellent is a topical grass treatment you can spray on the lawn to make your grass inedible. We have an outdoor sound deterrent called the Goose Chase Sonic that can cover between 1-5 acres, deterring geese by playing predator and distress calls. There are visual deterrents that can be strategically placed around the property like the Coyote Decoy, and Bird-B-Gone Balloon. Lastly there is a motion activated sprinkler that sprays out a stream of water every time motion is sensed.

Top

If we didn’t answer your question, please feel free to write in to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .