# Keeping birds off the mailbox post!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-birds-off-the-mailbox-post/542342>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 7, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-birds-off-the-mailbox-post/542342 "2010-06-07T21:10:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-birds-off-the-mailbox-post/542342/1 "2010-06-07T21:10:09Z")

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I hope I’m in the right place for this. What I said. Birds land on the mailbox post and make a filthy mess. I’m looking into ways to thwart them. Anything work for you, without looking too ridiculous?

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**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-birds-off-the-mailbox-post/542342/2 "2010-06-07T21:16:42Z")

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An apartment building in our neighbourhood has a plastic owl mounted over it’s doorway to discourage birds from building nests in that area of the building. They don’t come anywhere near it, nor do they roost on the roof.

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**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-birds-off-the-mailbox-post/542342/3 "2010-06-07T21:17:43Z")

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I’ve seen pigeons nesting on the spikes on window ledges and bird poop on a fake great horned owl - the only thing that I have seen work is fishing line strung over the area where birds are not wanted. It does not have to me much, just a few lines ought to do it for a mailbox. I had it over my koi pond and it worked perfectly. Granted it didn’t keep the coons out but beggers can’t be choosers.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-birds-off-the-mailbox-post/542342/4 "2010-06-07T21:30:27Z")

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See if you can find a rubber coiled snake.