How to Stop Birds From Pooping on My Car? (Use This Trick)

How to Stop Birds From Pooping on My Car

Birds can be beautiful creatures, but their droppings can be a real pain, especially when it comes to your car. Not only is it unsightly, but bird droppings can also cause damage to your car’s paint and surfaces. What can you do to make this stop?

There are several steps you can take to stop birds from pooping on your car. These include using bird deterrents, such as plastic owls or other fake predators, or installing physical barriers, like netting or spikes, to keep birds away from your vehicle.

There is no way to 100% stop birds from ever pooping on your car again, but there are some repellants that might do the trick for a while. In this article, we’re going to discuss these and what you can do to keep your car clean.

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Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!

Birds sometimes mistake cars for water, and sometimes they see their own reflection in your car. No matter the reason, it is annoying to come outside and see bird poop on your car. So we have compiled the best products to repel birds.

These are our favorite products from Amazon to deter birds from landing or pooping on your car. You can use one or all of these options!

1. Reflective Disksbirds don’t like anything that reflects. So these disks constantly spin and reflect sunlight.

2. Bird spikes – perfect for deterring birds from landing on a surface.

3. Rubber snake– a bird’s natural predator, is a snake. It will deter any bird from landing on your car.

Birds

Birds are as much a part of our world as the weather. You can find birds in any city, town, and suburb worldwide. However, even though these are beautiful creatures, they do cause some complications. Let’s talk about some common bird concerns.

Why Do Birds Constantly Poop on My Car?

Birds poop on cars because they see their reflection. Birds aren’t self-aware – meaning they don’t recognize their reflection. They likely think it’s another bird sitting on your car, so they tend to hang out there because they think they’re part of a group. Unlike humans, they just go to the bathroom whenever they feel the urge. Hence, bird poop on your car.

If your car is parked under a tree, it could also be a poop magnet as birds like to sit on the branches and poop. However, there is no definitive answer as to why birds have this obnoxious habit, so moving your car to an enclosed space would be best.

What Attracts Birds to Poop on Cars? 

Birds sometimes mistake your car’s reflection for water; since they like to poop in the water, they might poop on your car. Birds poop in water to hide their smell from predators.

This might explain why birds often poop on newly washed or painted cars more. According to the NWF, birds are usually attracted to the color red, so if you have a red car, you might see more bird poop than any other car owner.

How Do You Stop Birds From Pooping?

The easiest method to stop birds from pooping on your car is to store it in an enclosed space, like a garage, where a bird cannot reach your car. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, so we have some other solutions for you.

Birds don’t like shiny or reflective objects. They might think it’s the eyes of their predators. So you could hang some reflective disks in your car. You could also place a rubber snake on the roof of your car to scare birds away.

How Do You Keep Bluebirds From Pooping on Your Car?

Place a rubber snake on the roof of your car to keep bluebirds from pooping on your car. Many people believe that bluebirds symbolize peace and happiness, although finding their poop on your car might have the opposite effect.

Aside from rubber snakes, you should cover your car’s side mirrors. Birds might see their own reflection in these mirrors and assume it is another bird. This increases their chances of landing and pooping on your vehicle.

How to Keep Birds From Pooping on My Car?

Keep your side mirrors covered to discourage birds from landing on your vehicle. They think their reflection is another bird. Also, it’s a good idea to park your car in an enclosed space, like a garage. 

Even though it seems logical to park under a tree for shade, it also means your car is more likely to be pooped on. So instead, you could purchase a rubber snake and place it on top of your car to potentially scare away birds.

You might also enjoy our post on Is it Illegal to Shoot Birds in Your Backyard?

Other Bird Problems

Bird poop is no laughing matter, well, at least not after the third time this week. Is there a specific reason why birds are seemingly targeting your car? In short – no. In this section, we’ll dive into some common questions.

How Long Can Bird Poop Stay On Your Car?

Bird poop can start to damage your car’s paint after 48 hours, so you should clean it as soon as possible. Bird poop wrinkles and fractures the paint, making it much more difficult to clean the stain.

If your car has a protective wax layer over the paint, you could go a little longer before cleaning off bird poop. It would be better to clean the feces, though. No one wants to ride around with bird poop on their car.

Do Birds Poop More on Black Cars?

Birds poop more on red cars than any other color car. Experts believe this is because they mistake red cars for red flowers, although we’re not 100% sure. However, birds tend to poop on any car, regardless of color.

Although birds might not poop as much on black cars, it might seem like they do since it will probably be the most obvious. Bird poop is usually white or a light color. Therefore, it will be easy to spot against the black paint of a car.

How Do I Keep Birds Out of the Trees Above My Car?

You can place a decoy owl in the tree to scare off any birds, this will work for a while, but you should remember to move the owl consistently. Otherwise, the birds will get used to it and ignore it.

You could also hang reflecting disks in the tree to scare birds away. This is much easier if the tree in question is on your property. However, if the tree is at your work or in public, you might get some unhappy coworkers or pedestrians.

How to Stop Birds From Pooping on My Car Mirrors?

You should cover your car windows when it is parked outside. Birds are not self-aware, so they assume it’s another bird when they see their reflection. They want to communicate with this ‘other’ bird.

You could use a universal car mirror cover to fit any car that you might be using. You could use a sock or any large material that can slide over your mirror. Alternatively, leave a rubber snake hanging over your mirror. 

Parking Areas

Parking areas are usually bird-free, right? Well, not necessarily. If a bird can find a way in, it is actually the perfect nesting spot. It’s hidden from predators and generally less noisy than outside. 

How Do I Keep Birds Out of My Parking Garage?

Install bird spikes on the window sills of your garage and keep the door closed at all times. This is usually enough to deter birds from entering your garage, and they won’t be able to make a nest in or near your garage.

You could also place decoys of owls in the windows to scare the birds. This will also deter them from flying into your garage through open windows. If you notice birds in your garage, chase them out as soon as possible to prevent them from nesting there.

What Do You Do if There Is a Bird’s Nest in Your Garage?

If you notice a nest in your garage, removing it as soon as possible would be best. You should wait for the birds to fly away, though. Sometimes they could get aggressive trying to defend their nest.

If the nest already has eggs, you should ideally move them out of your garage. However, there is a very high probability that the chicks will die. However, if you keep them in your garage, you’ll have different problems.

How Do I Keep Birds Out of My Garage?

You could place fox or owl decoys in your windows. These are natural predators of birds and will probably scare them away. Try to keep your garage door closed at all times. Birds are much more likely to fly into an open garage door when they see one.

If birds enter through your window, you could add bird spikes to your window sills or netting over your windows. This will deter birds from flying through your window or making a nest on your window sill.

Birds Pooping on My Car Under a Carport?

You can install bird spikes along the rafters of your carport to deter birds. However, they like to take shelter under your carport to hide from the elements or other predators. Therefore, you should make it less favorable to them to stop them from taking shelter under your carport.

You could also install bird netting on the ceiling of your carport to prevent birds from getting to the rafters. They like to make nests in the rafters, so they’ll naturally poop on anything underneath their nests.

How Do I Stop Birds From Pooping Under My Carport?

You should try to keep birds out of your carport by using bird netting and bird spikes. In addition, birds are attracted to their reflection, so you should cover your car’s side mirrors.

If you know you have a bird problem under your carport, you should try to remove any birds or nests. You can also place some rubber snakes on top of your car and in the structure’s rafters. This will scare the birds away.

How Do I Stop Swallows Nesting in a Carport?

The best solution is to restrict their access to the rafters of your carport. In addition, you should make it as difficult as possible for swallows, or any other birds, to make a nest under your carport.

You can restrict their access with bird netting. This makes it almost completely impossible for birds to make a nest on the roof of your carport. You can also place decoys of foxes or other predators on the roof to scare off birds.

You might also enjoy our post on Neighbors Cat Climbing on Your Car

Deterrents

Now that we know why a bird poops on your car, let’s discuss some methods to deter birds. First, you should note that birds tend to get accustomed to whatever method you choose, so you should switch them out regularly (unless you own a cat or a predator of birds).

What Is the Best Bird Repellent?

Bird spikes are the best bird repellent because birds can’t land on any surface where spikes are attached. Sometimes birds adjust to other deterrents, but not spikes. So it’s the best possible bird repellent.

Bird netting is also another great option that birds cannot adjust to. It restricts their access to trees, windows, or wherever you install the net. Bird netting also looks more environment-friendly than spikes. 

What Is a Natural Bird Repellent?

You can make a natural bird repellent spray from chili peppers, water, and vinegar. This combination will give off a prudent smell that will deter birds and other wildlife.

Another option is to adopt a cat! We know that’s a big responsibility, but it would solve your bird problem quite quickly if you are capable. Cats are natural predators of birds, so once they observe a cat near their territories, they will flee. 

Do Fake Hawks Keep Birds Away?

Hawks prey on smaller nuisance birds, so birds are definitely scared of hawks. Even the shape of a hawk is usually enough to deter a bird. You can also add a reflective object to mimic the eyes of a real hawk.

Placing a few decoy hawks and reflective objects around will keep birds far away. Just remember to move the decoys around consistently, or the birds might realize that the hawks are not moving and become accustomed to them.

What Scents Keep Birds Away?

Birds find very strong scents quite irritating, so any strong scent would be effective in deterring a bird. Scents like chili, vinegar, garlic, peppermint oil, etc., will probably be enough to deter most birds from your property.

Vinegar and chili are probably the strongest natural smells you can get, so we recommend mixing these two with water for the ultimate scent repellent. Spray this mixture around your house or the area where you want to repel birds.

Related Questions

What Does It Mean if Birds Keep Pooping on Your Car?

They might be attracted to something in the environment around your car. Investigate where you usually park. If it’s under a tree or someplace where birds are abundant, you probably will see a lot of bird poop.

Experts say birds are attracted to the color red, so if you have a red car, you might notice more bird droppings. We suggest trying to park in an enclosed space and covering your mirrors when you park.

How to Stop Birds From Pooping on My Patio?

Hang shiny reflective disks over your patio. This mimics the reflective eyes of predators and will keep most nuisance birds far away from your patio. You could also place a few decoy hawks or owls to scare off birds.

The loud sound of windchimes will also irritate and deter birds. However, just like we get accustomed to the sound of wind chimes, so do birds. Therefore, the best solution would be to switch between different deterring methods.

How to Stop Birds From Pooping on My Balcony?

Hang wind chimes on your balcony. Birds are irritated by the loud sounds and will probably stay away for a while. You could also place bird spikes on your balcony railing, which will deter them from landing on your balcony railing.

Keep your balcony clean, and don’t give birds any reason to land on your balcony. If they see food or a potential nesting spot, they’ll land (and poop) on your balcony. Having a decoy of a cat or any other predator is also a good idea.

Final Thoughts

To stop birds from pooping on your car, keep it in a garage or another enclosed space. If you do see poop, clean it immediately to prevent paint damage. You can leave a rubber snake on your roof to deter birds from landing on your car.

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