Grackle Season

[Coolcat]

This is our second year and it's horrendous. I have the scare tape strung out criss cross around the pool, about 5 owls. I went away for 2 days and had to scoop out about 50 droppings. So now I have a hawk kite above the pool and a couple of whirling things. I just spent 10 days slamming and now this. I think I will have to cough up the $$ and get the sound machine because I can't take this.

 

[Katodude]

I would try to figure out some sort of water cannon and knock those nests out of the trees.

 

[GigiStratford]

This is our second year and it's horrendous. I have the scare tape strung out criss cross around the pool, about 5 owls. I went away for 2 days and had to scoop out about 50 droppings. So now I have a hawk kite above the pool and a couple of whirling things. I just spent 10 days slamming and now this. I think I will have to cough up the $$ and get the sound machine because I can't take this.

I tried everything, scare tape, owls, hawks, suspended 30’ high owl sockette. Didnt do a darn thing. It only slowed down from 40 droppings per day to 30…..I was sickened and beside myself literally in frustrated tears on a daily basis. Disgusting. Seriously I’m sad but resolved to say, the only way to stop it is to get rid of the grackles. Mist find their nests to knock them out.

 

[My wife's pool boy]

Try this: No more grackles
This worked 100% for us and takes no work or hanging fishing line or anything

 

[Joknee]

I string up fishing line, criss cross above our pool. The grackles won't fly over anymore and drop those poop sacs. They also like to drop them on your freshly washed and waxed car.

Did the fishing line work? How high above pool?

 

[Joknee]

I've posted in previous years about our struggles with these birds and their darn sacs. The trees that surround our property line are very tall, multi layers deep, are behind a fence and not on our property. We've tried SO many things, to no avail. I truly feel there is just no fighting mother nature in this situation! lol I had almost forgotten about what we're about to face until I stumbled upon this post.

Last year (and our plan again this year), will be to put down a big ole tarp (on top of our safety cover) all around the pool and pool deck and wait it out. It's a trade off...It makes it easier to clean up, though I do have to pump the water off the tarp when it rains.

They also bombard our "frog pond", vehicles and anything else they can drop their "gifts" on. Last year, my pool log said the first sacs appeared on May 4th and they didn't stop until the second week in June. Heavy sigh....

So they still drop them even with a tarp over it? This was my plan this year as I thought I could at least hose it off but I was hoping if they didn’t know there was water under it they wouldn’t do it.