7 Ways to Protect Your Garden From Hungry Birds
Hungry birds peck at berries, fruits, and vegetables. They run off with nutritious harvests! Instead of letting them wreak havoc in your garden, try these easy strategies for protecting the site. Native plant gardener Jerad Bryant shares seven organic-friendly ways to discourage hungry birds.
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Hungry birds are hungry! They need lots of sugar, nutrients, and sustenance to survive in the wild. They can’t help but look in our gardens for food, as many wild spaces are running out of the resources they need.
Instead of banishing all birds, consider using a multifaceted strategy that mitigates their damage while also allowing them to persist in the yard. Add bird feeders and bird baths while also putting up nets and scarecrows to protect your crops.
Birds tend to get used to standing objects. You may have to move your scarecrows and fake owls occasionally to keep them on their toes, or talons! They dislike shimmers, moving objects, and loud noises. Use these traits against them to protect your garden from birds.
Make Fake Snakes
My neighbors use this trick to protect their figs from pesky crows and songbirds. They put strings of netting up in their tree to resemble tree snakes. The curly netting blows in the wind and scares birds before they land.
You may use netting socks or any similar objects that are long and wispy. White netting works well, as its bright color stands out when the sun shines on it. Place the stringy nets up wherever you have ripening fruit. Hang them in cherry trees, blueberry bushes, and other fruit trees.
For fake snakes to work, they must move in the wind to resemble real ones. Hang each by one end and let the other end dangle in the breeze.
Add Bird Netting
Instead of scaring the birds, netting works to protect your garden from ravaging fruit foragers. Sun and air pass through the holes in the nets, while large critters like birds and squirrels stay stuck on the outside. Using netting works well on small to medium-sized fruit trees and bushes.
Some fine mesh nets and row covers also keep insect pests away from the fruit, like fruit flies and coddling moths. The finer the mesh, the more insects it’ll keep out.
For nets to work well, there mustn’t be any openings where creatures can come in. Weigh down the edges of the nets with rocks or bricks, and ensure there are no holes that birds or bugs can go through.
Harvest Often and Early
Many hungry birds use colors and aromas to find their next meal. They look for bright red, yellow, blue, purple, or black fruits, and they seek out sugary smells that are common in rotting fruits. To protect your ripening fruits and veggies, harvest them frequently before they reach peak ripeness.
Some fruits, like strawberries and tomatoes, you may harvest early and let them ripen in your kitchen. Pick them when they start changing color, then let them sit on your kitchen counter until they’re fully ripe. They’ll be safe and sound on your counter instead of in the open on a tree or plant.
Steady picking also encourages more fruits to form, as the plants rush to reproduce before the season ends. Continuously harvest strawberries, goji berries, and tomatoes to prevent them from attracting pesky insects and hungry birds.
Create a Scarecrow
Why not use a classic bird-scaring strategy? Try putting up a scarecrow! Scarecrows resemble farmers in the field. As birds see them moving in the wind, they run off to find a different yard without scarecrows or gardeners.
You can make a scarecrow yourself with some old clothes, a bundle of leaves or hay, and a strong stick. Tie the shirt and pants to the stick, stuff the clothes with leaves or hay, then stake up the stick near your fruiting crops.
To encourage movement, tie long streamers or shiny, reflective clothes to the scarecrow. They’ll blow in the wind and help convince the birds that the figure is alive!
Put Up Fake Owls
Like scarecrows, fake owls work to scare away small birds and protect your garden! Small birds are prey for owls. They attack them in the air or when they’re roosting. Owls also scare squirrels, rats, and other rodents that they prey on. Simply find a mechanical owl and set it up near your maturing crops.
Mechanical owls move and make noises when they detect motion. Some have glowing eyes, while others make screeching noises. Set them up wherever you have problems with rodents and hungry birds.
You may also set fake owls up in trees and bushes on strong branches. Secure them with ties or rope so they don’t fall over.
Hang Noisemakers
Similar to how owls make noise, mechanical noisemakers make loud sounds that scare away hungry songbirds before they reach your garden. Some take batteries to work, while others use solar panels! They’ll emit high-pitched frequencies or predator noises when they detect motion.
Noisemakers may annoy your neighbors if they’re sounding off repeatedly throughout the day. Consider using them in areas where they won’t disturb others, like in the backyard or on your balcony.
If you’re sensitive to loud noises, try using shimmery or light-reflecting objects instead of noisemakers. They’ll scare pesky birds without causing headaches for you and your neighbors.
Dangle Old CDs
Got a ton of old CDs lying around? Put them to use to protect your crops! Old CDs reflect light as they dance in the wind, creating bright shimmers that scare sensitive birds. Instead of throwing out your CDs, use them to protect your garden from hungry birds.
The CDs don’t have to be in perfect condition. They just have to reflect light! Start by tying them with a string to your tree or bush’s branches, then let them dangle in the wind.
You may remove the shimmering CDs once you harvest your crops. Then, the birds will return to your yard to overwinter and thrive during the cold months.
