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While the vast majority of people may think that ducks are cute little animals, the truth remains that these creatures can be quite dangerous to you, your family, and your pets. That may seem quite ridiculous to the vast majority of people, but the truth is that certain species of ducks carry diseases that can be dangerous, if not fatal to the vast majority of people.



One such example is the Muscovy duck. This is a wild form of dock that originally remained in tropical climates but has now moved to virtually any location on the earth. They are even adapting quite well in cold weather climates, which is becoming a concern to many people because species of other animals who have not come in contact with the pathogens carried by these ducks before are now at risk of becoming sick or even dying from the diseases that are carried by them. By them being on your property, you are at serious risk of endangering your family from the diseases that they carry. This is why you want to do all that you can to keep the off of your land and away from the ones you love. If you are looking for ways to repel these ducks from your property, then here are some ideas for you to employ.

The first of these is an obvious one. If you eliminate the reasons for them to be on your land then they will not come around. What this means is that you should eliminate potential food sources or places where they can set up their own residence there. If you have birdfeeders, places where seeds can be found, or locations that would seem ideal for one of these animals to set up its residence then you need to try to eliminate that. By doing so you deny the bird its primary needs and it will look somewhere else for these items.

You should also look into getting commercial repellents to help you with this problem. Before doing so, understand that repellents only have a limited potential for assisting you. Because of the fact that birds can fly and that the repellents effects will wear off during rain or heavy winds, you will only see a limited time. Where these can work. However, you may only need a small amount of time. It may still be to your advantage to use a repellent.

If you have locations where water will build up, you want to do all that you can to eliminate those. Standing water is one of the things that will attract a Muscovy duck to your land. If you take that away you will not have to worry about them returning so easily.

Also, if you have a garden or other large area of vegetation it is a good idea to fence those in and put netting over the top. This will stop at the dock from being able to gain access and will keep it away from your land.

Muscovy Duck Prevention

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The male Muscovy duck can grow to almost 7 kg in weight, and about 30 inches in length too. Females are generally smaller in size, weight and stature, but both males and females are ducks that seem much bigger when you're up close and personal with them. They're large but not overly noisy. Although not technically as silent as they are often promoted to be, they are certainly quieter than many other duck species.



These are generally considered to be friendly birds, but there are times that they can and will get aggressive. If they are hungry, or you have already fed them before, they can get snappy as a result of not being fed enough or having that food source taken away from them. The most common incidents between larger birds, such as ducks, and humans happen when humans are attempting to feed the bird. There's a lesson to be learned here -- don't feed them.

Males will become quite aggressive during the height of the mating season, and females are also known to get aggressive when they are defending a nest of youngsters. As we've already mentioned, both species get angry when food is involved, and that is the case for many wild animals these days. Sadly, they're becoming all too comfortable with the idea of us feeding them.

As with all animal invasions, adding prevention methods is most definitely better than waiting for the need of a cure. The ducks themselves are actually very beneficial to humans, chomping their way through many insects, keeping their populations down. They eat flies as well as moths, maggots, mosquitos, roaches and spiders. In short, they do us a favor. If it weren't for birds just like the Muscovy duck, the populations of these insects and bugs would be far higher, and far more detrimental to humans too.

The main problem that comes with Muscovy ducks is the waste the creatures often leave behind. It is not unusual to find excrement around swimming pools, decks, sidewalks, driveways and lawns. The ducks can also become aggressive towards humans and other animals, something we have already discussed, and it is also very common for these ducks to fight with local and native species of birds for food, shelter, fresh water, and more.

If you have Muscovy ducks on your land, it is generally considered the best option to call in professional and licensed wildlife removal and control experts. The reason for this is because you can't just trap these ducks and release them back into the wild again, giving you the problem of what to do with the bird once you've caught it. It is permitted to capture the duck on your own land, using humane and safe methods that won't interact or interfere with other people, pets, or other animals, but it is not okay for someone else to capture the duck on your land for you, or for you to go chasing the duck onto other people's property. When trappers capture these birds, they humanely destroy them, and that's the reality you'll face when you capture them too. There are very methods that you could come up with at home to kill these creatures in a humane and safe manner, and that's why this is a job best left to the professionals.

How to Prevent Muscovy Ducks

You should immediately stop feeding the Muscovy ducks if they keep coming back, and you should urge others in your local area or neighborhood to take the same approach. The more they are fed, the more they'll come back, and this same process works for all wild animals. You should not feed any wild animal, not even baby ones.

If you live near the water's edge, or you have a pond or lake on your property, floating bird balls can be used to keep some of them away. None of the Muscovy duck prevention methods are entirely foolproof, however, and there is still a chance that these creatures will come back even after you have put deterrents in place. It is generally considered better to have more than one prevention method working at once. These floating bird balls, designed to keep water free from landing birds and their droppings, are easy to install and relatively cheap. You could even consider other floating options, but remember to check them regularly and make sure they are somewhat secured in place in moving water, otherwise your efforts will end up down the road somewhere.

Bird netting is a great idea for all bird related issues, and the netting can even work to keep Muscovy ducks away from certain areas of your land. It's low-profile and more aesthetically pleasing than other forms of bird and Muscovy duck prevention, is almost 100% effective when the correct one is installed correctly, and provides a solution that is long-lasting and relatively low-maintenance.

Bird netting can be used for Muscovy duck prevention on gardens and crops, underpasses and bridges, rafters, eaves, large stores and warehouses, outdoor stands and stadiums, and even porches, decking, roofs and various other spots on both commercial and residential buildings.

For other spots, such as large agricultural areas, farms and vineyards, holographic tape that moves in the wind can scare Muscovy ducks away, working in almost the same way as a scarecrow does. The tape doesn't just flap in the breeze, but the holographic stuff will reflect sunlight, confusing and disorientating the creatures. This flashing tape can annoy you and your neighbors, just as much as it *might* irritate the ducks and other birds enough to want to find somewhere else to hang out. It is another relatively cheap and simple Muscovy duck prevention method, however, and one that you can easily buy on the internet for a few bucks.

Bird aversion fluid is another method that is often considered for the prevention and removal of Muscovy ducks, as well as other species of bird, but is one that can be rather labor-extensive. You will need to keep reapplying this, much like you would add coats of paint, and the fluid is said to affect the bird's sense that is similar to how we smell. They don't like it much and find somewhere else to land or roost.

There are many methods of Muscovy duck prevention that you could turn to when you have a problem, but if you already have the ducks on your land and they won't go away, we urge you to call in licensed and professional wildlife removal and control experts. These can be large and vicious birds, and will often cause damage when cornered or threatened. You may also find that many of these prevention methods will not work alone, meaning you'll need to find a couple of methods and use them together. None of the Muscovy duck preventions are 100% foolproof.

For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does bird removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of birds - my main bird removal info guide.
Example bird removal photographs - get do-it-yourself ideas.
Bird job blog - learn from great examples of bird jobs I've done.