While you are beginning the process of preparing your boat for the chillier months after the boating season this year, hundreds of resident birds are simultaneously searching for places to roost during the winter. What better place for a bird to make it's nest than within the small confined spaces of a docked boat, right?

Unfortunately, once a bird has decided to make its winter home on your boat, it is extremely difficult to get rid of them. It is much better to prevent bird from nesting before it creates a major issue. Even boats stored under shelters or warehouses are not safe from these aviary pests. Birds are notorious for finding unique ways into boats, their feces and nesting materials causing severe damage to a boat's paint, sails, and leaving behind harmful levels of bacteria that can cause illness or even death to unsuspecting boaters and their families.

One way to prevent birds from encroaching upon your boat is by using bird netting. This product is a safe way to prevent birds from nesting inside your vessel. Bought in bulk, netting can be easily placed over any open surface.

If you don't like the idea of draping your boat with netting, that try a bird deterrent called the bird spider. Requiring no power at all, these stainless steal tools come in several sizes and have large, extendable arms that bounce in order to prevent a bird from landing on your boat. Placed on multiple surfaces, the spider offers large range protection of wiring your boat, a zone that birds will not feel safe enough to enter. A visual deterrent similar to the spider are large, colorful balloons placed throughout the boat with reflective surfaces that will prevent the birds from landing.

Another humane way of dealing with pest birds is with a product categorized simply as a bird repellent. This non toxic chemical will appeal to a bird's taste buds and sense of smell, deterring them from landing. If a bird does manage to land and defecate on board your vessel, you will need to invest in a heavy duty disinfectant cleaner.