How to Keep Birds From Pooping All Over Because Neighbor is Feeding Them

Chris is always trying to figure out the best ways to keep birds away from his shiny car.

Some birds are larger than others.

Chris Andrews

The Universal Problem of Bird Poop on Cars

Anyone with a vehicle has had a problem with feathered friends trying to turn their car white. Whether parked in a shopping mall, strip mall, or grocery store parking lot, this can be an issue. It's especially a problem for those of us that live near rivers, lakes, or the beach (think seagulls).

What can we do to help keep our vehicles out of harm's way? Some people may think that their vehicle is cursed and that nothing on earth could help their car. I am here to give some assistance and hopefully help those of you who are having some bird bomb issues.

How to Keep Birds Away From Your Car

One very easy method to increase your overall chances of avoiding avian messes is to park away from places where birds hang out. These include:

• Light posts.
• The edge of buildings (birds will often poop just before or while taking off).
• Lamp poles.
• Dumpsters.
• Sailboat masts.
• Telephone wires.
• Wherever you see birds roosting. I cannot emphasize this enough, stay away from parking under large trees where birds congregate. If you park there, it will be bad news for your car!
• Trees where birds are present.
• Cover side mirrors with a plastic bag, sock, or cardboard (they like to "play" with the "other birds" in the mirror).

How to Bird-Proof Your Car

Many birds poop while flying. There are many different ways to encourage them to avoid your vehicle. Here is a device I made myself that works quite well.

1. Take a few old compact discs—four is enough—and make a tetrahedron or pyramid-shaped structure with them. Make sure the CDs reflective sides are facing out. The sun will reflect off these surfaces.
2. Take some cloth and hot glue it around a magnet and then glue the magnet to the bottom of the pyramid. When you get out of your car, place this structure on top of your car. (The cloth will keep the magnet from scratching the paint on your car.)
3. The magnet must be strong enough to hold through the wind. A stereo speaker magnet works well.
4. If you want to get fancy, make a small shaft so the tetrahedron can rotate and spin.

This structure will keep the birds away from the area because of the shifting of the light. These little contraptions can serve the same function around pools and decks, too.

Why Do Birds Poop on Your Car?

A British auto shop conducted an informal survey of to answer the question, "Are some cars more likely to be crapped on than others?" What they found, among other things, is that red cars do seem to be a favorite among birds.

Birds also have a natural fight-or-flight response. Loud vehicles, people walking by, or other sudden movements or noises might literally scare the crap out of a nearby bird. Another perspective to look at is that most animals are somewhat efficient. The more something weighs, the more effort, or energy, it takes to move it. Hence, when a bird is taking flight or preparing to do so, it unloads on your car.

Can Bird Droppings Damage a Car's Paint?

Yes! Birds do not pee and poop separately. Their white droppings contain uric acid, a component of urine. Uric acid is corrosive enough to etch through a car's paint, so it's important to wipe bird droppings off a car's finish as soon as possible.

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One Day It May End

Until the day that this war between the avian world and our vehicles ends, I hope that these ideas help. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment and let the rest of us know. I hope the birds avoid your vehicle and may the skies remain clear above. Good luck!

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Questions & Answers

Question: Why can't I shoot birds with my pellet gun to prevent them from pooping on my car?

Answer: Shooting random birds to prevent them from pooping on your car is likely illegal in many areas.

Question: I have this problem with bird's droppings on my scooter (moped). How do I prevent that?

Answer: Either put the effort into something that is movable and will scare the birds, or tarp the scooter while not using.

Question: There is a Robin that is constantly targeting only my car when there are 3, with trees around each. Is it possible that they will actually target a certain car?

Answer: There have been studies that suggest that birds will poop on different colors more. With a situation like this, I would lean towards the bird is revealing itself about the same distance from take off and it happens to be your car is that distance more often than the others. We often park in the same places - creatures of habit.

Question: I rent a carport and have found that birds love to sit on the wood rafters and poop all over my car. What can I do about this? Please help!

Answer: There are spikes you can purchase to place on top of the rafters, or put nails in the rafters and allow them to stand tall. You are looking for a way to prevent the birds from perching there.

Question: Are birds afraid of owls?

Answer: Some would be afraid of them and others would not be afraid of them. It would mainly depend on if the bird was hunted by the species of owl you are asking about. Also, when birds become aware that something will not do them harm they become less and less afraid of it.

© 2011 Chris Andrews

jonesslatim.blogspot.com

Source: https://axleaddict.com/auto-repair/prevent-bird-poop

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