How to De-duck Your Fountain

You created a beautiful fountain. You made sure the design was perfect, you oversaw the construction process, and you made sure the finished product was everything you wanted. Now it’s crappy, literally. ­ In our 25 years of fountain building, we’ve seen it all when it comes to unwanted critters in water features. We get questions about how to discourage turtles, gators, humans and birds from contaminating the water and ruining the tranquil environment you’ve tried to create. Out of all of these critters though, the most destructive freeloaders are the feathered ones.

Ducks and Canadian Geese have been plaguing our waters for years. These freeloaders move in, muck up the water you’ve carefully strained to perfection and then have the nerve to invite every feathered fowl they’ve ever met to join them? Heck yes, they do. In response, our customers and staff have come up with a few creative ways to help keep your fountain fowl-free. (And we certainly have fun doing it.)  

The RC Boat Method

Yes, we are saying people actually race remote control boats in their fountains. Best job ever? Pretty close. Our clients at the Eaton Corporation have been doing this for years. Ducks and geese hate to be disturbed, and running a high-speed vehicle through their new bird bath does not mesh well with their freeloader lifestyle. This method is not harmful to the animals and will not disturb your fountain system. It will, however, probably be a fun race to list on your Fun Friday office activities.

Dog Run

Got a few employees with high-energy pooches? Some of our clients employ the canine method. By inviting employees, friends and even hiring private companies that specialize in running dogs to get rid of birds (they exist!) you can help reduce the amount of birds that hang out at your fountain without causing harm to the birds. Just don’t forget the doggie waste bags.  

Fowl Blasters

They really are as cool as they sound. Our designers created a hands-off way for you to manage your fowl-free strategy. These blasters are high-powered jets that shoot a stream of water across the surface of the pond at different intervals. These continually random disturbances make your water feature an undesired location for birds to frequent, thus reducing excess filth and unstable water chemical levels that ducks and geese are prone to cause. Johnson Controls, in Glendale, WI has been using blasters for years. Just in case you were worrying, Fowl Blasters are not harmful for the birds caught in the line of fire, just really annoying.

Have you and your team come up with creative ways to keep the feathery fiends out? Let us know!

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