Birds like geese, ducks, herons, swans, and seagulls love having a source of water nearby where they can make their home. Many locations simply cannot host these birds, however. Places like airports, mines, chemical plants, frac ponds, and reservoirs need to keep birds out in order to run their day-to-day operations.
This is where bird control methods come into play. For keeping out birds from water sources like drainage pits, pools, and lakes, bird balls are a great option.
Bird balls (also known as shade balls) are plastic spheres that float on top of the surface of a body of water. Large quantities of these balls are released into the water, covering the surface of the water completely. With bird balls sitting on top of the water surface, birds no longer consider the body of water an option for floating on or drinking from.
Bird balls have more benefits for lakes and bodies of water besides deterring birds. These balls block the sun from interacting with chemical treatments in reservoirs, which would otherwise create bromate, a known carcinogen. They also block algae growth in bodies of water, are cheaper than other water cover options, and reduce water evaporation during droughts.
Bird ball installation is a long-lasting option for blocking birds from a body of water. Once installed in the lake, the balls will last for 20-25 years.
Bird balls come in a few different option varieties for different scenarios. The first option is the Armor Ball AQUA. These are sphere-shaped bird balls which cover 90% of a body of water's surface. If you have seen a picture of a bird ball, it has probably been this model or similar.
The Armor Ball AQUA is a good model and will perform the function of a bird ball. Today it is usually only used in scenarios where some evaporation of the water is required. This model serves those purposes well, as only 90% of the surface area of the water is covered, leaving room for water to evaporate. In general, however, it is the most expensive bird ball option and the bulkiest to transport.
The next option is the Hexprotect AQUA, which is hexagon-shaped and covers 99% of a body of water's surface. These units fit together in a hexagon grid and will not move even in a windy environment. The Hexprotect AQUA is about complete coverage of the surface of a body of water.
The Hexprotect AQUA is the recommended bird ball cover for most scenarios. It is a cheaper option than Armor Ball AQUA models and also provides more coverage.
The third bird ball option is the Rhombo Hexoshield, which covers 99% of a body of water's surface. Like the Hexprotect AQUA, the Rhombo Hexoshield is about full-surface coverage in a hexagon grid. This unit is also specially designed to reduce evaporation. The Rhombo Hexoshield can reduce evaporation up to 95% in a body of water.
The Rhombo Hexoshield is also commonly used and recommended. It is more expensive than the Hexprotect AQUA. This model works best in tight-fitting areas such as clarifiers, pools, and water troughs.
Each of these bird balls is a great option for excluding birds from a body of water. Once bird balls are installed, they require zero maintenance to continue blocking out birds for years to come.
There are a couple of alternative bird control options that perform a similar function to bird balls in keeping birds out from a body of water: pond netting and seagull grid deterrent wire.
The first alternative option is pond netting. Pond netting can be installed over a pond using a scaffolding or it can be installed directly over the water. Pond netting blocks birds from accessing the pond, lake, or body of water it is installed over. Common places to install pond netting are over fish hatcheries, retention ponds, runoff drains, and any other water-based location you want to keep birds out from.
Pond netting is a great solution for excluding birds from bodies of water. It will last 20+ years, endure all weather conditions, and will exclude all birds. Pond netting works with 100% effectiveness.
Seagull grid deterrent wire is the other bird control alternative that can be used to block birds (primarily seagulls) out from bodies of water. Seagull grid deterrent wire is a series of raised poles spread apart in a grid formation. On the top of each pole a wire is strung across to the other raised poles, creating a grid of wires that prevent seagulls from descending below.
Seagull grid deterrent wire is a great option if you have a seagull problem near your body of water. The water can still be accessed while it is blocked off from above by the grid of wires. Seagull grid deterrent wire is a great option for lakes, ponds, pools, docks, and marinas.
Summary: Bird balls are an option for blocking birds from accessing the surface of a body of water. Large quantities of bird balls are released onto the surface of the water, covering it completely. Once the bird balls cover the water surface, birds no longer consider floating on or drinking from it. After installing bird balls in a lake, they will last for 20-25 years, blocking off 90-99% of the water surface.
Comparable options for blocking birds from the bodies of water are pond netting, which blocks birds out with netting, and seagull grid deterrent wire, which spreads out wire in a grid of raised poles, blocking seagulls from descending onto the body of water.
If you are experiencing a bird problem, AviAway can help. AviAway has 30+ years of experience servicing bird control problems and has performed work for companies like Amazon, Rite Aid, and the U.S. Postal Service. We offer services throughout the United States and Canada. We service all types of bird species, from pigeons and sparrows to geese and turkey vultures. Click here or call 844-247-3373 to request a free bird control quote.
We also offer free bird control consultations. Click here to set up a free consultation and speak with one of our bird control experts about how we can help solve your bird problem.