How to keep birds out of my veranda?

[Zeus1]

Hello I have a large open concrete veranda area about 14mtrs long. I park my car under there. I have my outdoor table there & my large black lab sleeps & ears their aswell. 
The area is open on 3sides & the garage is on the other side.

Birds continue to fly in & eat my dogs good & poop on the concrete making a dirty mess. 
even when he’s foods not their they still come to visit.  & they poop on my furniture 
I’ve already hung 3 large plastic owls, hinges CDs and kids windmills about. 
but they still come.

They are the little brown birds, larger black bids & pigeons mainly.  
How do l stop them flying in. 
cheers lee 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community Lee (@Zeus1). It's a pleasure to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about preventing birds from entering a veranda.

It sounds like you're fighting a bit of a battle there and have tried many of the obvious solutions. Given that, it might be time to look at physical preventatives. Have you considered stretching bird netting from the ground to the bottom of the timber pergola? The netting can be fixed to the timber beams with staples or staple nails. Alternatively, you could enclose the whole area with Bistro Blinds. Bistro blinds would be a great option as they would stop the birds and those pesky insects that plague summer-time alfresco dining.

Birds are animals of habit, and if they've found an available food source, they'll likely return for several months after it has been removed just to check on the situation. It might be a case where you must diligently remove any food traces from the area after feeding your furry pal. Even the empty bowl should be bought inside, so it doesn't cause temptation. Eventually, they should work out that there is no chance of being fed there and move on. 
 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Zeus1]

Thank you kindly. 
Bistro blinds are out of my budget & l don’t really want to enclose the area in that way. 
Bird netting will make it an ugly area.

Problem also is my dog isn’t eating his food in a hurry when he walks away that’s when they swoop in. 
I try to remove the food asap. But lm not always their to stand over him. 
I think it’s going to be a problem until the birds realise the food is gone. 
I appreciate your suggestion thank you kindly. 

[EricL]

Hi @Zeus1 

Have you thought about building your pooch an isolated eating area? It's basically a timber frame with bird netting and a doggie door. In this manner, the dog can come and go as they please, but the birds will not be able to access the food inside the cage. I've drawn up a sample sketch to give you an idea of how to build one. I suggest building it slightly larger than the dog so they have room to move inside. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Zeus1]

Thank you this is definitely something to look at doing. 
much appreciated