birds pooping over my inground pool

The basics of swimming pool maintenance.
New swimming pool owner's questions.
Help getting started with daily pool care.
Dennis from Chitown

Blackbird messes and cleanup

Postby Dennis from Chitown » Sat 31 May, 2008 17:36

I had a pondless waterfall installed last year ... late summer. Zen-like ... wonderful. Always wanted something like this. Now the blackbirds are carrying poop and leaving it all over my rocks. Terrible! Fouling everything up ... very dirty and, I'm sure, unhealthy for my grandchildren. I'm encouraged that it may only be temporary. I'm going to try the fake snake solution and see if it works. Thanks for the tip!

Any other practical solutions out there? CDs and beachballs might work, but I can't reconcile them with the asthetics!

By the way ... what treatment can I use to remove algae and muck build up on the river rocks? This water feature experience is all new to me. And, as I mentioned, Momo and me want to keep it clean, not only for us, but our three little ones.

Thanks in advance for any an all suggestions.


Ken IL

Postby Ken IL » Sat 31 May, 2008 22:02

It appears that the birds have stopped or slowed down with the pooping/spitting, at least in my area (NW burbs of Chicago). Most mornings for the past 2 weeks, there was at least 15-20 massive droppings as well as a small "pile" of stuff in the deep end of my pool. The last 2 mornings, almost nothing. The real question is "why do birds feel that they have to poop/spit in water?".

Dennis... I'd bet that a normal algaecide (available at Home Depot) would be enough to keep your fountain free of bacteria or algae. To be honest, you could probably put a small amount of bleach in there unless you think it would harm the mechanics or stain the fountain. I agree with you... CDs, owls, snakes and beach balls may make your backyard look like a flae market. :x
itchibee

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby itchibee » Tue 12 May, 2009 14:05

Help! I am experiencing the bird poop problem and it is driving me crazy and costing me money. Has anyone found a solution yet?
logicalresponse

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby logicalresponse » Sat 16 May, 2009 09:43

This is my second year and the way I finally solved it last year was I found the nest and moved it to the front yard. It seems the parent black bird cleans the nest by constantly taking the little baby poop sacs (diaper change!) by carrying it out of the nest and dropping it always in the same area. Maybe they like to observe the wonderful job of poop making their babies did!! Why they like pool covers and pools I haven't figured out but I will find every nest and move it and if they don't like it they can move away from humans and live in the woods. If you do move the nest use gloves so as not to leave your humaness on it, whatever. Also, I did it late in the day so the parent could see where I put it, she followed and that ended it last year. I am presently on poop patrol tracking their flight patterns to figure where a nest might be. They are also kind of aggressive when you near the nest if they are around.' Little stubborn stinkers may have met their match,HUM! One more thought, each nest has new adults for next year to multiply the problem.
Plumber

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby Plumber » Sat 16 May, 2009 19:34

Wow, I was surprised when this popped up on google. A little relief knowing it's not just me. This just started for me this year too. My cover was covered (no pun) in bird poo the last two days. Today I rolled it up & saw the perps coming in to drop their kid's poop of at the pool (again no pun). WTF?
We've never had this problem before in the 5 years we've lived here.
There's no way I can move their nest. It's about 40' in the air in a neighbor's cypress tree. Those blackbirds are hell bent on leaving their poo at the pool. Even when I was right there chasing them, they flew to the other side, dropped the poo from their beak & took off. Hope this ends soon! It's pretty bad.
kelliw

Bird poop

Postby kelliw » Sun 17 May, 2009 07:19

Ken IL wrote:If anyone has a solution, please help. I just opened my pool for the first time (NW burbs of Chicago) and my pool and pool deck are getting bombed with poop. I would like a solution but also a reason... why are they doing this? Another site suggested that adults scoop the poop from their young out of the nests so predators cannot smell their nests. They use their mouths to scoop the poop but why they feel they have to drop it near water is unclear. I have heard of the owls and also hangin CDs in your yard (the sun hitting the CD creates light effects that birds do not like). I am ready to hunt the birds if necessary and I just ripped a nest out of the shrub in my front yard. Thousands of $$ so I can kneel on my pool deck and scrub poop? Not!



I just found out last night that apparently blackbirds do NOT have a bumhole...........................how odd.This is why they look like they are vomiting poop into our pools.I'm sorry I'm pretty compasionate but even not having a bumhole can't make me feel for these dumb birds.
Guest

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby Guest » Sun 17 May, 2009 23:25

Thanks for all your comments. I am a bit relieved that it may end in a few weeks. I have been puzzled by all those bird drops in the past week (just got my pool installed last week), it looks unreal and really I tought I was loosing it, starting to imagine that the birds were actually aiming at the pool and was starting to establish my air defence plan. Was thinking of suspended nets to disrupt fly pattern or to get a few cats in the yard to scare them away. Hope this end soon, it gets really messy out there.
tigervet436

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby tigervet436 » Mon 18 May, 2009 22:54

Gamo Whisper... neighbors will never know
Plumber

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby Plumber » Tue 19 May, 2009 18:04

tigervet436 wrote:Gamo Whisper... neighbors will never know

What's that?
I know the fake owls dont work. Placed two of them in the yard today. One in the pool on top of the pool cover, and one on the fence post the birds make their approach over. Got home today to find poooooooo all over the pool cover. I just went out and hosed off the cover and netted up all the droppings. Came in the house and watched out the window to see a blackbird [Greckle I've learned] drop of a poo package 3' from the owl in the pool. That's $40 bucks down the drain!
Anyone want to buy a couple owls real cheap?
Again, what's a gamo wisper? I hope it vaporizes those birds!
Plumber

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby Plumber » Tue 19 May, 2009 19:32

Remember Caddy Shack? I'm getting ready to go Carl Spackler on these f'n birds!
"Hellooo, Mr. BlackBird? It's me your friend Mr. Mocking Bird!" BOOM!
tigervet436

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby tigervet436 » Tue 19 May, 2009 20:30

www.airgunwarehouseinc.com/py-1275.html
Gamo whisper very quite .....very deadly ..........
Plumber

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby Plumber » Fri 22 May, 2009 22:18

tigervet436 wrote:http://www.airgunwarehouseinc.com/py-1275.html
Gamo whisper very quite .....very deadly ..........

NICE!
Terminator
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed 27 May, 2009 19:38
My Pool: Inground 80,000 Liters L shape

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby Terminator » Wed 27 May, 2009 19:55

Opened my pool other Sunday, I power washed all the poop and scoop those inside the pool. Monday came, I had the same amount of poop from what I cleaned the previous day. So I just started cleaning up again, started with the power washer, and then scoop the ones inside. But while I was doing that, as squadron of blackbirds drop their stuff. This meant war.
Day 1. Reconnaissance, find out their hiding spot and nest and usual landing branches.
Day 2, borrow a 40 ft ladder, destroy all all the nest including eggs and chicks.
Day 3 to Day 6. 12 gauge shotgun. Start shooting them one by one. Place the dead birds in the middle of the field. Their so dumb, that they will stop by to check on their dead buddies. Shoot them too.
Day 7. Enjoy and Relax. No more blackbirds.

You can also try this, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImSsii1PMUs) motion activated sprinkler if you don't have time to hunt.

Hope this helps.
lac

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby lac » Fri 29 May, 2009 08:25

I think I may have a solution for you! It's working for me. Helium balloons on 6 - 10 foot ribbon tied stategically around the pool and over the water! It changes the flight pattern of the birds, first it takes them by surprise, then they go around. I also put a balloon over the hedges that is a part of the flight pattern. The balloons move around in the breeze so they aren't stationary, this way birds don't get accustomed to them. NO BIRD POOP in the pool yesterday and today (so far). Try it! It cost me $5.00

It's safe, effective and cheap!

And, I cannot believe I found this topic on the internet! Thanks for all the suggestions but this is my very own and seems to be working.
User avatar
DesertHeat
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat 30 May, 2009 12:35
My Pool: A 12'x30', 12,105 gallon, in ground pool w/ StoneScapes aggregate finish. Pentair CCP-420 cartridge filter, Pentair Whisperflow 1.0 HP pump, PCC-2000 in floor automatic cleaning system, Vision - Nature 2 mineral system and a Lectro-Pure magnetic water conditioner.
Location: Tucson, AZ

Birds pooping over my inground pool

Postby DesertHeat » Sat 30 May, 2009 13:19

We used to live in Sonoma, wine country, for many, many years. The vineyard managers have always had a problem towards the end of the growing season with bird eating the grapes (which can become rather costly at some of the high-end vineyards). To scare off the birds they started using that one and two inch wide silvery/sparkly rainbow ribbon.

Well, here in Tucson during the hot season (May - October) when mid-day temp regularly top 100 the birds like to hang out on the patio in the shade... pooping on everything. We started using the vineyard manager's trick with the ribbon and it worked! I'm guessing that the random bright and colorful flashes make them nervous and they no longer come into the fenced area. They still hang out beyond the fence in the wild desert and that's close enough for us to enjoy them, and not their poop.

The roadrunners still come through the backyard, but only cars and humans bother them.

Return to “Basics for New Pool Owners”

Who is online at the Pool Help Forum

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests