Say Goodbye To Bird Poop: The Best Way To Keep If Off Your Patio

Most people enjoy seeing birds in their yards. Many even spend a good deal of time and money in order to attract more songbirds to their yard. However, even the most ardent backyard birders don't like seeing bird poop covering their patio, deck, and other property. While there is really no way to 100% guarantee all areas of your outdoor living space will remain completely of bird droppings, there are a number of things which can be done to greatly lessen the occurrences. These range from trimming limbs to erecting barriers.

Unfortunately, one of the greatest factors leading to your patio getting covered in bird poop is also one of the primary features attracting birds to your yard — trees. If birds are perched in tree limbs overhanging your patio, odds are at some point they will relieve themselves and it will inevitably end up all over your patio and outdoor furniture. This issue can be even messier if the limbs are sprouting from trees or bushes with fruit on which birds like to feed.

With that in mind, the best way to prevent bird poop on your patio is to take care of your trees. That doesn't necessarily mean cutting down the tree: There are steps that can be taken which will allow you and the birds to still enjoy trees in your backyard while preventing your patio from becoming an avian public restroom.

When it comes to protecting your patio from bird poop, you have to address issues with your trees. For starters, branches hanging over your patio offer birds an ideal spot to perch, roost, and poop. So, the first step should be to trim as many of these overhanging limbs as possible. Then, take a look at your outdoor furniture. Try and move it around the patio so it is not directly under any remaining limbs. 

Next, consider relocating any smaller fruit trees or bushes that are close to your patio. As they feed, birds often relieve themselves and if they are feeding around your patio, well look out. Smaller fruit trees can usually be transplanted without too much difficulty. Any fruit trees or bushes in containers can be moved. If you have a more mature fruit tree or bush that cannot be relocated, try keeping birds away with shiny, spinning things hanging from the branches, like strips of aluminum foil or old CDs. You can also use something like a Hausse fake horned owl to keep smaller birds from feeding or perching in the trees. 

While dealing with trees and tree limbs is a good start, there are a few other things you can do to avoid bird droppings on your outdoor living spaces. One is to move any birdbaths or feeders away from your patio. This follows the same logic as relocating fruit trees. Growing strongly scented herbs such as mint in planter boxes around your patio can also help. Similarly, pigeons and swallows hate the smell of citrus, so oil-soaked cloths or potted citrus trees could help.