When you look up through your skydomes, you want to see crystal clear light, not a window pockmarked by bird poo. However, if you live in an area with a lot of birds, you may see more of the latter than the former. Luckily, there are ways to keep the birds away. Take a look at these ideas:

1. Install a skydome with a ventilation fan 

Rather than installing a traditional skylight or window, look for a skydome with a ventilation fan. These come in a number of configurations, and ideally, you want to look for one with the fan located on the top of the tube. That way, birds cannot reach the glass or plastic tube to defecate on it.

2. Scare away birds with a fake predator

If you already have your skylight or skytube in place, you need to work around it to deter birds. If you can get onto your roof, a fake predator can work wonders. Ideally, you should place a plastic owl next to the skylight or if you have a tube protruding from your roof, hang some plastic snakes from it to scare the birds.

3. Remove signs of birds from around the skydome

Whilst you are on your roof putting up predators, look around for signs that birds have already been there and remove them. If other birds see feathers or nesting materials, it makes them see the area as safe and hospitable. You can eliminate this impression by cleaning up all bird evidence. Use a strong cleaner to remove bird droppings so that the smell doesn't entice new birds into the area.

4. Add bird spikes around the skylights

In addition to making an unsightly mess, bird droppings can start to wear out the seals around your skydome or the acrylic over its opening. Bird spikes can help with this issue. You can buy rather formidable looking bird spikes, but you can also get less intense spikes that deter birds without hurting them. In addition, you can get colours that match your roof so that you don't have to worry about the spikes being visible from the ground.

5. Use distress sounds to drive birds away

Sonar repellents can also help to convince birds to fly away. You can invest in a sonar repellent that emits an unpleasant frequency for birds, or you can simply record some distress signals. ideally, you want to play the signals in your attic next to the skytube so that the sounds reverberate up the tube toward the roof.