Sea Gull Deterrents Updated

Sea Gull Deterrents Updated

Sea Gull Deterrents Updated

image of seagull

Sea gull

Some of your neighbors tend to be real pests. It seems that they never go away for any length of time. At least not as long as you would like them to. That’s not a nice thing to say. However, in this case, it’s true. Spend any time near the water, and you will notice these pesky neighbors.

In this article, we discuss your neighbors, the Gull family, and the other residents that populate the waterfront and won’t go away. These neighbors have a habit of partying and being very noisy. They also use any open places like a kitchen table and worse yet, as a bathroom. They love docks, boats or canopies In particular.

Chances are you may have encountered these resident birds or at least evidence of their presence. It seems the only way to keep them off your property is by running around and waving your arms. Spouting babble helps too. (P.S. Your neighbors love watching you do that.) However, you may have also noticed that this action is limited in effectiveness. The seagulls and geese will move away and then return when you stop harassing them.

Legally protected

Sea gulls are protected by law.  Meanwhile, you have to deal with the mess in the form of leftover food and debris. Incidentally, that debris can contain over 60 diseases as noted in this ARTICLE. That’s 60 diseases that you, your children or grandchildren are then exposed to unnecessarily.

THE FIRST STEP TO KEEP SEA GULLS & GEESE AWAY

image of No feeding gulls

NO feeding sea gulls

 

The FIRST step is to follow this rule: NEVER feed the gulls. Don’t leave any food where they can see it. Yes, they will get friendly with you if you feed them. You could also become the next “Birdman of Alcatraz.” However, do you want that?

The result will be that the sea gulls will gather on your dock every day waiting for food. Like an unwanted guest, they will spend the nights eating and p__ping on your canopy, boat or dock. Sometimes they will even bring their own food, which is nice for a guest to do. However, the mess they leave behind is NOT so nice.

Image of seagulls

Sea gulls

So how do you get rid of the gulls or better yet – prevent them from coming in the first place? 

Hint: Did you ever notice that the sea gull family seldom ventures under trees or in areas that are not open. Read on to find out why this is.

Entanglement and Motion

Let’s start with entanglement. A sea gull fears anything that will restrict their flight. Entanglement is the worst thing that can happen to them. Freedom to fly is their primary means of avoiding danger. If they can’t spread their wings without interference, they can’t escape the threat.

They also fear the erratic movement. Sea Gulls want peace and quiet just like you do. 

Dori Poles

image of Dori Poles

Dori Poles

The pendant or flag deterrent from Dori Pole® is considered one of the most effective systems available. This system was developed initially as an advertising method at festivals as the flags stood high above crowds and due to their bright coloration and versatility caught the eye. People noted that the birds tended to avoid the areas in which they were in place. The pendant or flag style of deterrent is a very versatile system. The pendant attaches to the end of a very long pole. The pole is mounted anywhere that it can be secured and allowed to move with the winds. The combination of movement and the risk of entanglement helps keep the sea gulls away. It also allows visitors on boats to find your place.

Gulls Away®

image of Gulls Away

Gulls Away

Another system from Gulls Away® uses transparent fishing line strung over the top of your lift canopy to prevent the gulls from landing.

It works great on the side of the dock too. Set one or more lines in the 12″ – 18″ range above the dock edge. Sea gulls use infrared vision, and the thin lines stand out brightly, day or night, and present an entanglement for them. 

This system is useful, and you are probably familiar with its design. The system attaches to the uprights of your lift and extends out over the top of your canopy. It can be placed on a dock also.

Gulls Away® is designed specifically for your boat lift.  They attach to the frame itself and are not intended for your dock or other applications without modified mountings. In this respect, the Dori Pole® wins the race.


Bird Spider – 360
®

Other approaches to the sea gull problem use wind action to create movement and thus scare away the offending birds. Bird Spider – 360 consists of paddles set at the end of steel rods that spin on a central axis.

image of Bird-Spider-360

                                                                                                                              Bird-Spider-360

After years of arm waving, one of the most effective methods of deterring the gull is still “motion.” Geese and sea gulls are skittish. They do not like the erratic movement. They tend to shy away from areas in which there is any movement. So, a moving system is your best bet. The swiveling system, Bird Spider – 360, employs the wind to rotate its lateral arms and thus create the necessary movement to frighten any offending birds. It’s available from 2 ft up to 8 ft dimensions.

Theoretically, this movement will also scare them away as they fly over looking for a nice quiet place to land, like your dock or your canopy.  It will connect to round or square frames and comes as a set of two, with six extension arm and paddle assemblies.

Disadvantages

Given the mechanical nature of its design, (screws, pivot points, using natural elements, i.e., the wind, to move the arms) it is prone to vibration over time. This vibration has been known to cause the set screws to fall out allowing the extension arms to detach. Another issue is that the vibration can cause paddles to twist and stop turning or sag to rub the canopy itself.  With paddles, this is not a problem. However, it should be noted that these developments are a result of time; the system is effective but may not last as long as other systems. Suggestion: apply Elmer’s glue to the set screws to prevent movement. A small dab is all it takes.

What works to deter a Sea Gull?

Every “solution” has benefits and detriments. Some people are happy with “in motion” designs while others prefer the “static” design. The “in motion” deterrents are both encumbered by the same thing when there is no wind their motion either diminishes significantly or stops altogether, eliminating their effectiveness. The static system, however, produces no motion so according to the formula “motion equals deterrent” this system finds fewer adherents, as it does not necessarily keep the birds from flying over and messing up your canopy. The other significant difference is versatility.

Keeping birds off of your lift, dock, and waterfront is something that nearly everyone can get behind. The systems we have discussed are designed to accomplish this. The choice of which method will work best for you is largely dependent on preference. Each of these systems has specific qualities that will appeal to different people in different ways, and in the end, the look of a system is as important as its functionality.

The sea gull is an intelligent bird. As a result, it is best to keep changing the type of deterrent you use. This way they don’t get accustomed to your efforts. It keeps them “off balance.”

General Rules to follow:

Do NOT feed sea gulls.
Start early in the season with your deterrents, so they aren’t allowed to get into the habit of landing on your dock or canopy.
Rotate your deterrents to keep the gulls “off-balance.”

In a future article, we will discuss options for discouraging spiders and bees.

Do you have a friend that may be interested in this information? Please share a link to this page with them.

Pier & Waterfront Solutions

PWS is located at 7325 St. Hwy 57. That’s 1 mile North of County MM (Hwy 42) and 3 miles South of Sturgeon Bay at the Idlewild Road intersection.  Our staff is here year-round to assist you.

Joan – Door County Peninsula

Jerry- Thanks for the fine job on the install.

Putting the 8′ x 8′ side extension where you did last fall was a wise decision when you look at the short beach this year

Joan

HOW TO ANCHOR A DOCK

DOES A DOCK NEED AN ANCHOR?

image of anchor

Do I REALLY need to use a dock anchor or auger?   First-time dock owners in Door County ask this question all the time. Their concerns are valid – no one wants the extra work or cost if it isn’t needed.

First, let me say that on most inland lakes on the Door County peninsula it is not necessary to install an auger or anchor. Except for Lake Winnebago, the inland lakes generally are not deep enough or wide enough to be of concern. Without an open expanse, the waves typically do not present a problem. That statement is contingent on you having the dock set at the proper height.

 

WHAT SHOULD FIRST-TIME DOCK OWNERS LOOK FOR?

For new dock owners, we recommend you look around your area. How high are the docks set? Experience is a great teacher.

If a majority of the piers are set “low” to the water, it’s probably safe for you to do the same. 

image of ShoreMaster TS9 dock system

ShoreMaster TS9 dock

Here’s a great way to meet your neighbors.  Most people want to help. Don’t be surprised if the name – Pier & Waterfront Solutions comes up in the conversation as the place to go.

In general, if the summer storms reach a height of 36 inches, then the bottom of the frame should be at least 38-42 inches above the water. This height allows the vast majority of the waves in a storm to pass under the dock frames.

 

WHO NEEDS TO ANCHOR A DOCK?

Summer thunderstorms kick up 4-6 waves on the bay of Green Bay with little warning. It’s no wonder that people use augers to anchor their docks.

One method to secure your dock is to pound pipe legs into the gravel or sand. This takes a toll on your back (or your friend’s back if you were smart enough to recruit help).

Not the best idea. Besides, you have to figure out a way to get the pipes out in the fall. You can’t pound UP!

This method is ineffective in most cases. A wave pounding against the bottom of the decking will lift the dock straight up. Once the leg is pulled out, the dock usually will twist or roll-over due to the continuous pounding from the waves.


WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DO I HAVE?

The recommended option is to use augers in critical locations. One way to do this: the husband holds the dock frame up (he’s strong you know). Meanwhile, his wife uses a pipe wrench to screw the auger pipes into the bottom. This is hardly a recipe for marital harmony either. We DO NOT recommend this procedure.

image of auger pipe

auger pipe

On a calm day, the only part of the pier that is in the water is the support pipes (legs). The legs have a low surface area in comparison to the entire dock. Waves easily pass around the legs with little resistance.

Minimal resistance is the key to securing your dock.

WHAT TYPE OF DECKING YOU USE IS IMPORTANT?

Most decking has an almost solid surface. As a result, there is no place for the water to relieve the pressure when it hits the dock. In a vast majority of decking, there are only a few 1/2″ openings in the decking. Waves hitting the underside of your dock have no way to reduce the pressure on the pier. This will cause an upward movement.

image of Typical Plastic decking

Typical Plastic decking

 

What’s the best decking with the least resistance to waves?

image of Flow Through decking

Open decking

Flow Through decking provides the least resistance to the waves by reducing the surface area by 42%

Our advice is to assess the worst case scenario for wave conditions in your area. Then set your dock height higher based on those conditions.

Setting the dock height too low on the bay is a bad idea. You do so at your own risk.

Customers with steel framed docks and board decking have found their docks flipped over in storms. The dock usually sinks. or in some cases, get washed down the shoreline.  The parts of some of these piers have never been located.

Others were damaged because they ran out of pipe length and did not want to replace the pipes with longer ones.  With the higher water levels the past few years, pipes that are too short are getting common.

In some situations, even though the dock height is set correctly, a neighbors boat or other floating debris will hit your dock. You can’t prevent every situation.

WHAT ABOUT BEDROCK?

There are many places where dock augers do not work due to the limestone bedrock in Door County. There are three ways to handle this.

The first is to use angled leg pockets.  The legs are angled out from the dock similar to spreading your legs to gain stability.  This helps stabilize the dock more than standard vertical legs. However, this is no guarantee that the storms will not flip your dock. It does help though.


ANOTHER WAY

The second way to anchor a dock involves drilling in rock anchors. Once installed a chain is attached between the dock and the anchor. The problem is – how to locate the anchors after the ice goes out in Spring. In some cases, the ice and boulders that move in the Spring will destroy the anchors.

A final option involves using a large, heavy mass in the water to secure the dock. This serves as a dock anchor during a storm.  Depending on the depth of the water this may have to be removed from the water each year.  The ice may move it away if the dock anchor gets trapped in it.  A submerged weight may not be the easiest way to secure a dock.

In summary, after everything is said and done, the simplest method is to keep the dock set higher than the waves.

Need Help Planning a Dock System For Your Home or Cottage?

Contact Pier & Waterfront Solutions TODAY!

Do you have a friend that may be interested in this information? Please share a link to this page with them.

PWS is located at 7325 St. Hwy 57. That’s 1 mile North of County MM (Hwy 42) and 3 miles South of Sturgeon Bay at the Idlewild Road intersection.

Our staff is here year-round to assist you.

 

BoatLift Safety – Updated – Pier & Waterfront Solutions

BoatLift Safety Reminders

BoatLift Safety requires constant vigilance. No one can predict when a cable will snap, or when lightning will occur. Children’s safety is paramount whenever they are near a boatlift. This article originally appeared on the Davit Master web site.

This information is important and is well worth reviewing again.

  WARNING
BOATLIFTS WITH REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEMS

Turn off the power source on A.C. Powered Units (Electrical Breaker) to the lift when not in use. This prevents any outside sources or accidental transmissions from activating the boat lift/remote control system.

 WARNING
ELEVATOR BOATLIFTS WITH TRACKS IN THE WATER

Turn off the power source (Electrical Breaker) to the lift when not in use A.C. Powered units.

 WARNING
ALL BOATLIFTS

  • BoatLifts are for use by adults only.
  • Keep hands and clothing away from all moving parts.
  • BoatLifts are not designed for lifting humans.
  • Never ride on the boat when lifting or lowering the boat.
  • Do not exceed the factory recommended load capacity of the lift.
  • Make sure no persons are under, near or on the lift during operation.
  • Do not allow the boat to fill with water.
  • Do not power your boat onto the lift.
  • Always turn the power source off to your lift when servicing your boat or lift.
  • Do not swim in the area of the Boat Lift.
  • BoatLifts are heavy equipment and should be treated as such
  • Inspect your cables once a month.
  • Lubricate your cables monthly with penetrating oil.
  • Replace cables that are frayed or rusted.

 

image of Boat Lift Cable Lubricant

Boat Lift Cable Lubricant

Just a reminder:

For those who consider the current heat wave as unbearable – this is what the outdoors looked like a mere 70 days ago –

 

image of 2018 Arrowhead Beach - Crushing a boathouse

2018 Arrowhead Beach – Crushing a boathouse

Where is PWS?

PWS is located in the center of Door County at 7325 St Hwy 57.  It is located 1 mile North of County MM (Hwy 42) and South of Sturgeon Bay.  Look for the intersection of Idlewild Road.  

Want us to address a dock or boat lift topic for you?  Feel free to give us a call.  

Call Jerry at 920-493-4404 or Email Jerry@wisconsinpws.com for more information.