Please help me get rid of the ducks

May 30, 2011
40
It's killing me. We didn't have ducks last year and all the sudden we get ducks daily. They are disgusting. I'm wondering if there is a trick to making them find a new home. I have a free form pool with no cover. I have tried leaving mats and noodles in the pool with no success. Is there a trick to keep them away beside the obvious shotgun?

Any help would be so very appreciated
 
Probably unrelated but where I work we have large compressor buildings and get pigeons that like to roost in them because they are basically giant sheds with no walls only roofs. We have to call in the state wildlife people and they set up air cannons (C02 powered I think) to scare them away. Works for a while, scares half the construction workers too though. This is in a large oil refinery, so the govt has to be involved in everything we do but you could try scaring them away with random noises for a few days. I think airports use the same type of thing that they bring in here with the air cannons.
 
I have shot just co2 out of a paintball gun which scares them away but they are right back a few hours later. This has gone on for 3 weeks not and I have scared them away prob 20 times in that time frame
 
I keep my pool covered in spring and early summer, the mating ducks have always gone away. You can try rubber snakes, toys on the pool, fishing line criss-crossed above the pool, but the solar cover seem to stop them. I assume it's the open water they're looking for.

Gary R.
 
Isaac-1 said:
ROAST DUCK WITH ORANGE SAUCE
1 (4-5 lb.) duck
1 orange, sliced into quarters
Salt, pepper & poultry seasoning

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash duck in cold water and remove excess fat...
Haha funny.....yeah solar cover for few more weeks until they are done mating,I seen ducklings already and I live in Iowa so wont be long I'm sure.Ducks like to fly first light and last light so you know when to get cover on .......good luck

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
 

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Utahjanitor said:
It's killing me. We didn't have ducks last year and all the sudden we get ducks daily. They are disgusting. I'm wondering if there is a trick to making them find a new home. I have a free form pool with no cover. I have tried leaving mats and noodles in the pool with no success. Is there a trick to keep them away beside the obvious shotgun?

Any help would be so very appreciated

I posted a bit longer reply in another thread, this is more informative IMO.

So simple!

Use BIO-DEX OIL-OUT http://www.bio-dex.com/products/OilOut.html
From product website.
Converts Oil to Water Naturally
Eliminates oil on contact. Non-Toxic, Hypo-Allergenic User friendly.
What you are targeting with this method:
There is a special gland called the 'Preen Gland' near the ducks tail. This tiny gland produces oil which the duck uses to coat its feathers. The duck picks up the oil with its head and beak, and then smears it all over its body to make the outer feathers waterproof. Without this protective barrier, a ducks feathers become water-logged and because they spend their whole lives around and in water, this water-proof barrier is extremely important to their survival.

How much to use:
Depending on your pool size add from 5 times the dose preferably the entire bottle. When the ducks land or swim in the water the oils are stripped from their feathers causing them to loose buoyancy and start to sink. They will leave and never return since this is dangerous water to them and I have yet to have the "same" ducks return or any new ducks in the following years. Repeat the process if you get returning or new ducks.

Personally I use a full quart in one shot (all pools were over 15K gallons) and the ducks are gone within a day or two but not more than couple of days, rarely more for those stubborn ones. I know it says one ounce per 20K gallons but I have never had it fail with a full quart dose and for around $20.00 it's well worth it.

Do NOT use this if ducklings are present as they will drown.

I have not noticed any adverse effects on water chemistry.

Good luck!

Sorry one more trick for you folks, especially those that mention "inflatable" deterrents. The best is an inflatable swan (a natural enemy of ducks).


[EDIT] Added info from product and key info of what the target is and caution added inflatable swan.
 
All of my house boat friends use many rubber high color snakes (think neon orange, yellow and vibrant blue - nature's BACK OFF colors). They use about 12-20 snakes strategically placed where ducks/geese want to land. Keeps the ducks and geese away. These folks live on the lake and it seems to keep them away completely even if they only go to their house boats on the weekends.
 
Samantha Sabrina said:
Your local animal control, or forestry service should be able to assist you with the ducks, that is their job.

Even living in a city there should be a forestry agent that covers your area, since ducks and geese are considered wildlife it is their job to help protect the wildlife, which in your case would be to relocate them to someplace proper for their species.

The National Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, your local Wildlife/Forestry Conversation Dept, or any number of such places should be able and willing to help.

Our State Forestry Service has helped us many times since we bought our property 20+ years ago, when we found out we didn't have the kind of wildlife out here like there should have been they came out and spent almost a whole day walking our property with us and showed us what the problem was and how to correct it, one of their suggestions was to build a pond, so they showed us the best location, then surveyed the whole thing complete with flags marking everything, and then sent us detailed instructions and blueprints, a few years back our pond was overgrown with underwater grass and weeds, so we called them out and they told us the simple answer was to put 2 or 3 Hybrid Carp in, they would eat the weeds and grass, it took 2 of them about 4 months to clear the pond and we haven't had any problems since, when we wanted to have some timber cut they came out and showed us what and where we should cut and what we should leave, (they even went so far as to mark the trees to be cut), plus they gave us a list of local logging companies, now that we own a logging company they assist us all the time when we look at a property that someone wants cut.

You have many resources to solve this problem, all it takes is a few phone calls.

As far as any agency State or Local being called out for migrating birds this is not true especially here in the Los Angeles area and it only takes one phone call if you doubt that.

This is actually much more serious than most people think, Ducks are covered by the " Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act" and you can not touch them nor will the Fish and Game, Wildlife Foundation or any other State or local agency. You can not even "attempt" to move them unless you have a proper license, some agency's may refer you to a licensed third party company but you will have to pay for their services.

Bottom line when Ducks are migrating it is AGAINST U.S. FEDERAL LAW for you to try and remove them physically without a proper license. You can however use what is called "hazing" or scare tactics, loud noises, sprinklers, inflatable anything, OIL-OUT etc. to get them to leave on their own.

Here's a link to the Federal Agency who oversees this project:
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/RegulationsPolicies/mbta/mbtintro.html

Here's a list of added and removed birds, the complete list is available in the above link:
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/RegulationsPolicies/mbta/10-13 Final Rule 1 March 2010.pdf

To me $20.00 and a couple of days is still far more cost effective and permanent.

EDIT 2: You need to make every attempt to make them leave before the female makes her nest. As far as getting a licensed person to physically remove the bird(s) this is very traumatic on the birds themselves. The only solution next to the inflatable anythings that does not shock or scare the birds suddenly or abruptly is the method I have used for over 6 years now and on over 25 different pools including 3 this year on my buddy's route is the oil-out. It simply frustrates the birds and they go elsewhere and apparently tell their friends not to stop by either.

At least that's what the 2 Ducks I talked to last week said to me anyway. :lol:

EDIT 1: added links and spelling correction.
 
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