Bird-proofing Empennage

[Jim Peace]

On 6/15/2023 at 2:40 PM, catchman86 said:

My friends, here's my first prototype solution. It's a pool noodle with bird spikes attached by JB Weld. I sliced an opening down the length of the tube. The inside wasn't too rough either so the paint should be fine. The fit is mostly snug but I will have to test how well this keeps up with the wind.

how did that solution workout.....

[Will.iam]

On 5/28/2023 at 6:51 PM, Jcmtl said:

My tail was full of bird shit yesterday and i also decided to tackle this problem.   I noticed i had a bird nest in the tail which i guess keeps the birds coming back.  I cleaned that out (even found three eggs) and got a pool noodle to block the access.  I got one of those pressurized garden sprayers to clean the mess and that worked great.  Im hoping that without the ability to set up a nest the birds will go shit on someone else’s plane.  

Where is this hole in the tail where birds can nest? Either i don’t have one on my 252 or i have not found it yet. 

[PeteMc]

3 hours ago, Will.iam said:

Where is this hole in the tail where birds can nest? Either i don’t have one on my 252 or i have not found it yet. 

You don't have the opening in the back on your 252?  Thought it was basically the same as my 231, but never looked.  And you need to look way up into the tail, sometimes with a flashlight, and if you see anything then odds are the WHOLE tail is full of a nest.  You'll need to open the inspection plate on the pilot side and see what's there.  

I washed the plane one evening and knew we were leaving early the next morning so I didn't put in my sponges.  When I got there the next morning there was some grass and twigs in the visible.  When I opened the inspection plate and started pulling stuff out, the WHOLE tail had already been filled.  What I saw through the back was the top of the nest.

 

I grabbed this off the Internet, looks like a J, but basically the same as my 231 and I'm assuming your 252.  This is where you stuff the sponges on both sides to totally block off access (use soft sponges).  If you park in a hangar and don't really think about it, put it on your checklist or put the sponges on top of everything so when you get to your destination and you're going to be parked outside, you'll remember.

 

 

 

Edited February 4 by PeteMc

[Will.iam]

My airplane is hangered but this will be scrutinized on my next preflight. Since I just got an annual done I would hope they would have checked that opening but I will verify and get some sponges to block the area for when she is outside parked on a ramp. 

[PeteMc]

1 hour ago, Will.iam said:

Since I just got an annual done I would hope they would have checked that opening

Yeah, they would have pulled all the inspection plates.  But during nesting time it is remarkable, almost unbelievable, how fast some birds can build a BIG nest. 

 

[Hank]

3 hours ago, PeteMc said:

You don't have the opening in the back on your 252?  Thought it was basically the same as my 231

I grabbed this off the Internet, looks like a J, but basically the same as my 231 and I'm assuming your 252.  

This is my C. I've been hangared in box, T- and the community hangar shown, and spent a couple spring months tied down on the ramp while relocating for a job change.

I've owned this Mooney since 2007, and use a canopy cover when traveling, except when inforget to load it. I have never covered or tried to cover this opening, and have never had a problem. Maybe it's the paint job or color?

[PeteMc]

5 hours ago, Hank said:

and have never had a problem.

Probably all about where you parked.  Friend of mine parked his Mooney give or take 200ft in front of where I was and had very little bird activity.  I was not near the edge of the ramp or near trees, etc., but we had a lot of birds on our tails and trying to make nests.  I have a red tail, so maybe that attracts them. 

[PeteMc]

On 2/3/2024 at 2:12 PM, Will.iam said:

Where is this hole in the tail where birds can nest?

I was mentioning the sponges to a friend and he sent me a pic of his sponges in place.  He has a 212 Trophy, but same place, same issue.

 

 

 

[Jim Peace]

made my own bird thing for the top of my stab and rudder.  It has solved my problem 100%.  

Used a piece of cut plastic smaller sized downspout. Glued in a new piece of carpet and put the bird spikes on top.  Experimenting with different ways to secure it. Spray glue from home depot that is specifically made to glue carpet to PVC and used epoxy for the bird spikes.

I dont know why but all the planes around mine have no devices and clean tails.  Mine attracted birds like a magnet.  I live just 4 minutes away by golf cart and had to go out there several times a day to clean.  NO more...

[LANCECASPER]

On 2/3/2024 at 7:30 PM, PeteMc said:

Yeah, they would have pulled all the inspection plates. 

 

In theory

[PeteMc]

12 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

In theory

Gad, I hope so.  Guess it might be worth looking around at some of the other planes they're working on to see if it looks like they do.  

You might want to find another mechanic if they don't.  Who knows what else they're deciding doesn't matter.   

[DonMuncy]

9 hours ago, Jim Peace said:

made my own bird thing for the top of my stab and rudder.  It has solved my problem 100%.  

Used a piece of cut plastic smaller sized downspout. Glued in a new piece of carpet and put the bird spikes on top.  Experimenting with different ways to secure it. Spray glue from home depot that is specifically made to glue carpet to PVC and used epoxy for the bird spikes.

I dont know why but all the planes around mine have no devices and clean tails.  Mine attracted birds like a magnet.  I live just 4 minutes away by golf cart and had to go out there several times a day to clean.  NO more...

How do you put it up there? Step ladder?

[PeteMc]

2 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

How do you put it up there? Step ladder?

I used the big utility/storage box I had under the wing.   It was the perfect height that you could easily step up on it and then I was the perfect height to attach my similar device. 

Mine also had some black netting on it that would drape down over the "towel rack" antennas I had and hold in place with some clothes pins.  Birds loved to land on them too.

 

[Jcmtl]

On 6/18/2023 at 9:30 PM, A64Pilot said:

Not an airplane but I had bird issues on our sailboat before we went cruising.

I tried hanging CD’s on fishing line under the shiny object theory, no effect.

I have witnessed other boats with plastic owls and birds perched on the plastic owl so I didn’t give that a try. Same with the rubber snake, but the snake can scare the snot out of people walking by until they realize it’s not a real Rattlesnake. I know you don’t see Rattlesnakes on salt water but your brain doesn’t kick in right away

Tried stringing fishing line through the rigging because that’s supposed to work, it didn’t.

Only thing that did work may offend some, but I shot one of the Bastids and strung it up in the rigging for all to see, I guess they didn’t like seeing their dead brother because they seemed to avoid the “death” boat.

If you can’t bring yourself to shooting one I believe dead bird decoys are sold, but I don’t know if they work as well as a real dead bird.

Interestingly even after I threw the dead one away, they seemed to remember which boat was the death boat because I didn’t have bird droppings anymore.

That’s funny.  I was having issues with pigeons on my patio at home and started shooting them with an airsoft gun.  They didn’t die but the word probably spread in the pigeon community and now almost no birds land here.

[Jim Peace]

11 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

How do you put it up there? Step ladder?

yes

[M20F]

Once they get in it is hard to keep them out.  When I was outside had one get in one year.  I tried all sorts of things but they are clever little beasts and they were always getting in somehow. 

[rrodriguzzi1]

Aviation skydrol. Just a drop where it doesn’t affect your paint or on a piece of rag. No birds will ever be a problem after that. 

[Utah20Gflyer]

Here is my version.  Let’s hope it makes my tail less attractive to the hawk that likes to sit on there and rip apart rodents and crap on it.  

[DonMuncy]

How do you put it on an remove it.

[catchman86]

I kept a small folding step ladder in the baggage. Takes up very little space and helps when washing too.