Nuisance Ducks

[Fargo]

The ducks are making a mess of our small beach and dock to the point that it is a health issue now. Any suggestions as to how we can discourage them from hanging around would be appreciated. The "No Ducks Allowed " sign isn't working and neither is the rubber chicken strung up on the dock.

[mg2107]

How about a roasting pan and a hot oven or a vigilant dog.

[Gavia immer]

The "No Ducks Allowed " sign isn't working and neither is the rubber chicken strung up on the dock.
Change the sign to "No Duck Feeding Allowed".

[KonaChick]

I don't know about on your beach but I read once to get a remote controlled toy boat and chase them away with the boat when they are around. I thought this sounded like a good way to keep the ducks at bay!

[SAMIAM]

Last year I got a pellet gun to scare them off the beach (worried about duck itch and the grandkids) it worked great for a while,and the pellets just bounced off their feathers.....everyone was happy. Then,one day,I accidentally over charged the gun and killed a female duck.I absolutely felt like a dog,my wife called me a murderer,and to torment me even further,the male duck returns alone and floats around at the crime scene.I wake up in the morning,start my coffee,and there he is....floating in the morning mist....just haunting me.I'm a defeated man.Now I start my boat at the dock,put it in gear and use the current to clean the beach as the ducks swim off a short distance.I know they are laughing at me.

[ITD]

Keep chasing them away, after a while they will stay away, at least they did for me. Make sure no one is feeding them and there is no food source (bird feeder, they go after the seeds the birds drop.) I like the radio controlled boat idea. There are also chemical repellants you can try but you need to be relentless when you chase them away, if you see them make them leave. Good luck.

[jrc]

Last year I got a pellet gun ....

Samian, do you know how many state and federal hunting laws you broke.

Everyone else, be careful how much you harass migratory game birds. There's lots of state, federal and international laws protecting them and their nests.

[Grant]

Get a dog. The ducks never hang around long when my dog is on the dock.

[SAMIAM]

I hear ya' jrc....I feel terrible.I'd never hurt an animal intentionally.Many is the bird that I've saved that the cats dragged in alive.I even have mercy on mice and moles that I find deposited in the cellar.

[jrc]

maybe you need some practice

http://www.crackmuffin.com/html/Duck-Hunt.html

[Sal]

Love the shooting gallery ducks. If only the damned real ones could be disposed of the same way.

[Fargo]

We bought one of those plastic owls today and stood him on the beach. The ducks realized he wasn't real and hung out with him all day. These are smart ducks, need to come up with plan "B".

[rrr]

You're right about the owls - we have two - one has a head that moves. The ducks love them - they sit right next to them!

If plan B works please share!

[Rattlesnake Gal]

We trained our dog to “get the duck”. Mac just loves barking at them to scare them away.
(He also protects us from airplanes and thunder. :laugh: )

Another safe option is a long-range super soaker squirt gun. They really don’t care for that and the kids just love it.
(Then you will have the problem of everyone getting soaked.! :laugh: )

Usually the ducks do stay in the lake, but last year a very persistent female duck kept coming around to the house deck for handouts. (I strongly suspect someone in the neighborhood had been feeding it.:mad: ) I was afraid to let Mac go at her on land – what if he caught her? :eek: Since my first two options didn’t work, (The squirt gun was always in the wrong place.) I scooped her up, brought her down to the dock. Set her at the end and held on to her. Then I had my son get Mac and put him on the shore side of the dock. One, two, three – let the dog go! The duck never came back. :D Good doggie.
You know what they say, no harm, no fowl. :laugh:

[LIforrelaxin]

Hummm....I guess I am glad the ducks like my nieghbors dock more than mine.....never realized how lucky I was

[Hermit Cover]

Emeril has featured several duck recipes on his cooking show in the past days...do you think he sympathizes with the plight of the "duck invadee's" and is trying to offer a tasty solution?:laugh:

[Fargo]

We recorded eagles and hawks on line and played the noise to the ducks. Just made them come closer to the house, curious ducks. Go figure. I read somewhere that ammonia on a rag might keep them away. I'll post the results over the weekend. Hope I can stand the smell.

[Fargo]

Put ammonia on the beach and dock this morning, didn't do a thing, I think it evaporated too quick. The ducks are still here and I smell like ammonia.

[Airwaves]

Good luck!

There are places where you can "rent" dogs to chase away geese and ducks, that is probably the best thing to do.

Eliminate their food source...eliminate their nesting places...chase them away, that is about all you can do.

They used to crap all over my boat canvas. I bought and used a product from 3M that I coated my canvas with and the duck, seagull etc. crap hosed right off. I can't recall the name of the product but it is designed for furniture hopefully someone will help.

However, during hunting season :-) Get a waterfowl stamp! Every time I eat out and duck is on the menu I order it, just to reduce the population by at least one!!!

[John A. Birdsall]

We had a neigbor years ago, and I wish he was still in that house., he wait till we went home in the fall and then fill his freezer with duck. Maybe the same practice needs to be done now to protect the "human" race. Quack Quack. Bang, Bang. Freezer has two ducks.:emb:

[SAMIAM]

Problem solved.......Samiam 1....Ducks 0
I had some small roman candles.the ones that do not have a report,just shoot a flashing ball.Since they don't explode, I put on a leather glove and held them in my hand,directing them at the ducks.
They couldn't get out of there fast enough and haven't been back since.

[Fargo]

My wife patrolled the beach and dock today but was no match for the 12 ducks hanging around...nasty sunburn, gotta hurt.

[Fargo]

I placed two small stakes at either end of the beach and one next to the dock and strung a nylon cord between them. The cord is about 4" above the water. The chubby ducks can't swim under the cord and their leggs aren't long enough to step over it. Seems to be keeping the docks off the beach.

[Airwaves]

Fargo, How does the nylon cord effect the family swimming?

I had a problem at home with pigeons roosting on my roof making a mess of my new walkway. I used the garden hose and every time the bird poked its head or any other part of its body over the roof I shot it with water. After about a half hour the bird went away and hasn't returned in weeks.

[ApS]

We bought one of those plastic owls today and stood him on the beach. The ducks realized he wasn't real and hung out with him all day. These are smart ducks, need to come up with plan "B".

Plastic owls don't work—mostly because they aren't mobile.

But while browsing catalogues, I saw this—which can be tethered to a an anchor just off your beach: