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Who doesn’t love waking up on a warm sunny day to a serenade from a sweet songbird? Their soothing little chirps, however, won’t keep your mood from turning sour when you find the mess they made all over your patio furniture.
The good news is that you can keep birds off your patio furniture without harming them. One of the most effective and safest ways to keep birds off your patio furniture is to repel them with shiny objects that move in the wind.
How to keep birds off your patio furniture
Sensory deterrents that disorient and distract the birds are the best method to keeping birds off your patio furniture. With that said, however, some birds are just more brazen than others and you may have to utilize multiple deterrent tactics to keep them at bay.
1. Hang shiny objects
Old CDs, aluminum pie pans, and mirrors can scare birds away from your patio furniture. Hang these items up around the area where your patio furniture is located, and as the wind blooms, their movement and shiny appearance will distract their vision, and birds tend to stay away from areas where their vision is distracted.
If you don’t have any old CDs, pie pans, or mirrors lying around, don’t fret. You can purchase Reflective Scare Rods that are designed to deter birds from patios and gardens.
2. Put out fake owls
Another way to keep birds at bay is to install a fake owl near your patio furniture. There are a wide array of different fake owls available, with various features. The Galashield Owl Decoy, for example, has a rotating head and reflective eyes to help scare birds away. Keep in mind, however, that fake owls will do little to deter larger species of birds, since owls are not their predators.
3. Try pinwheels
Pinwheels are another item that can help keep birds at bay. What’s even better is that pinwheels are often used as yard and garden decorations so they won’t look out of place in your landscape. The shiner the pinwheel the better. Holographic pinwheels are ideal since their spinners reflect various colors of light.
4. Remove their food and water
If you’ve been feeding backyard birds or you have a bird bath near your patio, then consider taking those down. If your yard doesn’t have what a bird needs to survive, then they will simply go somewhere that does. You can always put your feeders and bird baths back out at a later time once you’ve found a more permanent solution.
5. Use patio furniture covers
Yes, they do make covers for your patio furniture. This will protect your furniture from bird poop which can damage fabric and other material. Here’s an example of a large patio furniture cover that is big enough for a sectional sofa.
How to clean bird poop off patio furniture?
Once you have the bird problem under control, you are left with the task of cleaning all that bird poop off the patio furniture.
What you’ll need:
- Small brush or broom
- Garden hose
- Dish soap
- Water
- Bucket
- Scrubbing brush
Directions to remove bird poop off patio furniture:
Step 1: If the furniture has removable cushion covers, take them off and wash them according to their washing and drying instructions. Wait to put the cleaned covers back on the cushions until the rest of the furniture is clean and dry.
Step 2: Use a small brush or broom to brush the dried poop off the furniture.
Step 3: In a bucket, mix 1/2 gallon of warm water with 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap.
Step 4: Use a scrubbing brush to scrub the furniture with soapy water. Scrub the entire piece of furniture and not just the area with visible bird poop.
Step 5: Rinse the furniture with the garden hose. Check to see if there are any spots you may have missed. Scrub any missed spots and then rinse the soapy water off the patio furniture.
Step 6: Place the patio furniture in the sun and allow it to dry.
How to make your patio undesirable to birds
Taking steps to make your patio undesirable to birds will go a long way to keeping your patio furniture free of poop.
- Move your bird feeders – As we mentioned above, it’s best to move the feeders away from the areas where you entertain and relax outside. If you leave the feeders close by your patio, it is only natural for the birds to think they’re invited to the area.
- Prune trees and bushes – Birds perch, nest, and hide in bushes and trees. Pruning any foliage near the patio makes the area less welcoming to birds.
- Remove their water sources – Bird baths and fountains invite birds to come on down and take a drink. Relocate water sources to an area away from your patio.
- Avoid leaving food outside – Birds won’t just munch on seeds, they will also go after French fries, pizza crust, and various other items you may leave out on the patio. Make sure to always clean up any food you may be snacking on while sitting on your patio.
Birds are not the enemy
It’s only natural to become frustrated with these pooping machines and want them off your property ASAP. It’s almost like they poop out of spite. Try to remember, however, that humans share nature with various wildlife, including birds.
Use safe and humane deterrents to keep birds off your patio furniture, such as shiny objects that move. Once you have made your patio area undesirable to birds, consider creating a bird-friendly area away from your space.
If your property is large enough, move bird feeders and bird fountains to an area that is away from your patio. Make this area safe for wildlife by planting native flowers, and letting bushes and trees get denser. The birds will then flock to their redesigned area and stay away from your patio furniture.
