Waking up to bird sounds seems idyllic and calming. If you stay in bird-rich areas, you see many birds and enjoy seeing them feeding outside your home if you have bird feeders.
However, all that beauty flies out the window when you have to deal with copious amounts of bird poop in your yard. It’s not a good look.
There’s no unique way to remove bird droppings from your deck. However, here are three ways that you can do to remove and prevent birds droppings in your deck:
- Remove bird feeders and fountains
- Reduce the food left out
- Trim shrubbery around the deck
Note: You’ll need protective gear before you remove the bird droppings.
We know you love a neat deck, free from bird droppings. Stick around and pick a few tips and tricks on how to clean bird poop off your deck. Also, we’ll show you how to prevent birds from soiling that precious space.
Why Should You Remove Bird Dropping From Your Deck?
The deck is a relaxation area. You, your kids, and your pets consider it a part of their home. Therefore, a deck rife with bird poop is not only unsightly, but it’s also a potential health hazard.
Bird poop is nutrient-rich. Your deck can house plenty of bugs and plant matter. Bird poop can feed these bugs and plants, transforming your patio into a dangerous ground for critters and disease-causing agents.
Bird droppings are prime spreaders of pulmonary diseases such as Cryptococcosis. Pigeons and canaries are one of the Cryptococcosis spreaders in their droppings.
Considering that the disease is highly transmittable to humans, it’s inevitable to keep your deck clean from these contaminants.
How to Remove Bird Droppings From Your Deck?
Bird droppings are hard to get rid of. It becomes more challenging to have a polished deck you wouldn’t want to damage.
Still, there’s a tried and tested remedy to remove the droppings – good old soap and water cleaning. Before you start, though, safety first.
Protective Gear
- Gloves
- Protective face covering or ventilation mask
- Protective clothing is optional. However, protect your feet.
Gear You’ll Need
- Plastic scraper
- Warm water
- Dish soap or detergent
- Strong-bristled brush
- Alternative cleaners such as vinegar
- Rugs
How to Do it:
- Put on your protective gear.
- Scrape the droppings off the deck with the plastic scraper. It might be difficult the first time, though. In that case, you can sprinkle some water to loosen it up.
- If you successfully scraped the droppings while they were dry, collect the dry droppings and put them in trash bags or wrap them in newspaper.
- Brush off the area with a soft brush. Alternatively, you can wipe off the area with a moist rag. Don’t saturate the area with water, so it doesn’t warp the wood.
- Clean the deck with soapy water and a rag. A bigger rag covers a bigger area. Act fast, though.
- If you’re having difficulty getting some of the droppings off the deck, use baking soda. Sprinkle the baking soda and leave it for a few minutes.
Spritz vinegar or soda water on the baking soda and leave it for a few minutes. You can then wipe the droppings with the wet rug. - Once you have a clean deck, rinse it off with a power washer. Have the power washer on a low setting, so you don’t damage the wood.
- The final bit is proofing the area to kill the bacteria. Bleach is wood-friendly. Non-staining bleach will kill bacteria and won’t leave any stains on the wood.
Home Remedies to Remove Bird Droppings From Your Deck
Using Vinegar to Clean
As a cleaning product, vinegar is such a lifesaver at home. You can use it indoors or outdoors.
- After spraying off the dry lumps of bird gunk, spritz some baking soda on the deck.
- Mix in a bucket some vinegar and water.
- Wipe the deck as you would with water and soap. Vinegar won’t stain, and it won’t leave any streaks.
- Rinse the deck with clean water and a power washer.
- After the deck’s dry, sprinkle some bleach to kill the bacteria. You can spritz over the surface and let it air dry.
Applying White Toothpaste for Light Bird Poop
First off, bird poop is slightly acidic. It can eat into a wooden deck if you leave it too long. Toothpaste, on the other hand, is essential. It neutralizes the acid. Also, it does a fantastic job loosening stuck mounds of bird poop.
Apply some essential toothpaste (nothing dyed or gel) to the bird poop and wait for it to dry. Scrape it off the deck and scrub with a non-scratch brush. It makes cleaning only with water more accessible.
Prevent Bird Droppings on Your Deck
You can only clean so much. You’re bound to get tired of constantly cleaning, especially when you consider the erratic nature of birds soiling your yard. The best option is to prevent birds from settling on your deck.
Birds are scared by movement, random sounds, and some smells. Use these methods to keep birds from your deck.
What is the Best Bird Deterrent?
| Visual deterrents | Auditory deterrents | Smells | Commercial deterrents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old CDs | Windchimes | Cayenne pepper | Fishing wire |
| Toy decoys | Ultrasonic noise machines | Vinegar | Bird netting |
| Colorful spin wheels | Garlic | Bird repellent gel | |
| Hanging mirrors | Peppermint oil | Bird spikes | |
| Bird diverters |
You could use many hacks to keep birds away from your home. The best deterrents are those that you can seamlessly incorporate on the deck and maintain the home’s aesthetic appeal.
Here’s a rundown of some of the best options based on ease of use, practicality, cost, and functionality.
1. Windchimes
Windchimes and decks are a great match. They create charming sounds against the wind and look good hanging on a deck. The best part is, you can be as creative as possible with windchimes.
Use hollow pipes to make whistling wind chimes. Alternatively, use solid metals to make jingles that rattle against each other to make noise.
Wind chimes are significant deterrents since they’re both visual and audio deterrents. Plus, there’s no limit to how many you can have in your yard.
2. Old CDs
Old CDs are a fun DIY project you can use to beautify your deck and keep the deck bird-free. It works on a simple principle. Suspend the CD anywhere above the deck.
The swaying action from the wind and the reflective rays from the sun will affect the birds visually and through motion.
The fun bit about old CDs is you don’t have to spend much on them. You can use what you have or get them from a junkyard at dirt-low prices.
3. Essential Oils
Birds hate strong smells. Essential oils tend to have strong scents that appeal to humans yet irritate birds. Here’s the trick.
You can plant peppermint right outside your house. When the birds catch a whiff of the plant, they’ll associate the area with the unpleasant smell.
Alternatively, you can make a peppermint oil deterrent at home.
You’ll need;
- 1 cup of vinegar
- 1 cup of water
- A few drops of lemon oil
- A few drops of peppermint oil.
- Cotton balls
You can also lemon peels and peppermint leaves and slow boil them to extract the oils. However, they might not have as strong a scent as the oil.
Mix the ingredients and soak the cotton balls.
Place the scented cotton balls in hard-to-reach places such as corners.
4. Fishing Wire
You’ve probably seen birds hanging on electric wire. However, fishing wire is different. Fishing wire is too thin for birds to get a grip. All you’d need to do is run the area from point to point a few inches above the deck railing.
You can make it deliver a slight shock if you connect them to an active electric line. Unless you have massive swathes of birds you want to keep off your property, go easy on the electric cable. It seems like overkill.
5. Decoy Predator Birds
Decoy birds are a common sight on many decks. You can find decoy birds resembling predator birds such as eagles and falcons.
The upside of decoys is they are effective even in harsh weather. Place them anywhere on your property, and birds will avoid the area.
Additionally, they might scare protected bird species so that you won’t be hurting any endangered birds.
However, birds also notice when the decoys haven’t moved. You have to change their locations from time to time physically.
6. Bird Netting
Bird Netting takes two forms. You can place a net over the deck. The net allows light over the deck and keeps bird poop out of the deck.
Alternatively, you can place a protective tarp over the deck. The tarp will provide shade on the deck and prevent bird droppings on your patio.
The tarp has an advantage over the net. See, birds can get trapped in the net with large enough spaces. Fortunately, there are net options with small holes to keep the bird droppings out.
What Home Remedy Keeps Birds Away?
1. Chilli/Cayenne Spray
It’s safe to say birds don’t like chili at all. Chilies and cayenne pepper irritate birds’ sense of smell. Making a chili anti-bird spray is simple.
Get a bunch of chilies. Twenty chilies should be enough. Cut them into bits. The key is to expose the seeds. Mix a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water and mix in the chilies. Pour in a spray bottle and leave the mixture for up 24 hours.
Spray this mixture generously in places where birds like to perch on your deck. Spray some in hidden areas, too.
2. Baking Soda
Baking soda is another home product you can apply in so many ways around the home. Unlike you, though, birds hate baking soda. They will avoid landing on any area where you spread baking soda.
The only downside to baking soda on your deck is wind. You can go around this minor problem by combining baking soda and double-sided sticky tape.
3. Brightly Colored Spin Wheels
Spin wheels are a creative approach to scaring birds off from your property. Birds get scared when they see sudden bursts of spinning colors. You can put spin wheels of different sizes anywhere on your deck.
Does WD-40 Remove Bird Poop?
Car owners use WD-40 to remove sticky bird poop off the car roof and windows. Since it won’t peel off the car pair and quickly removes hard-to-remove stains, WD-40 is highly effective.
Sprinkle the WD-40 on the bird poop and leave it for about 2 minutes. Be generous with the WD-40 if it’s a big chunk of poop.
The WD-40 loosens the poop. Wipe off the poop with a rag, or wash it off with a power washer. Alternatively, you can hose it down.
Tips & Tricks to Prevent Birds From Your Deck
1. Remove Bird Feeders & Fountains
Food will attract animals. If you want birds to stay out of your yard, cut out any incentives to be there in the first place.
Birds associate bird feeders with food, so they’ll perch on fountains for water. If you already had fountains on the property, don’t remove them.
Instead, replace the freshwater with salty water. The birds quickly adapt to not having anything valuable to eat or drink near your home.
2. Reduce the Food Left Out
Leaving bits of food, for example, for a pet, is inviting birds to your property. It’s a recipe for disaster since they might want to relieve themselves after a quick meal.
If you leave your food out for pets, you can use aluminum foil to line bowls and water feeders. Birds hate the reflective surface of the aluminum. They also don’t like the feel of aluminum on their beaks. Ensure you dispose of all food remains in covered bins.
3. Trim Shrubbery Around the Deck
Shrubbery makes excellent nesting areas for birds. Clear bushes around the deck to reduce the likelihood of birds building shelter near the house.
However, some trees hold sentimental value. You can’t cut them down. Still, you don’t want birds nesting on them. Hang reflective mirrors or have bird diverters.
Bird diverters are dangly pieces of art that look like they have predatory eyes. You can buy some for cheap or make some at home.
They often have patterns. They scare away birds when they whirl from branches. Also, you can put them anywhere around your yard.
Note: If the bird problem becomes overwhelming, notify the local authority. Some birds have special protections that limit how you’re supposed to handle them.
Final Thoughts
Bird droppings don’t smell. Yet, they can be incredibly irritating to remove from your deck. It might get irritating if birds mark your home as a food spot and nesting area.
Preventing burds from flocking around your home is better than cleaning up after them. Use these friendly ways to keep them off your deck.
Remember, be careful not to wreck the deck during cleaning or bird-proofing.
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