Author: Brian October 4, 2018

Guest Post by John Smith

It takes a lot of effort and works to till, plant and weed out your garden.

However the results are far worth it— vegetables, fruits, and flowers grow which you can proudly share with friends and family.

But, there is a pesky problem. . . .Birds— they love your garden, too.

Especially those seeds and fruits and vegetables they can put their beaks into.

Birds are not only a common hazard you can find destroying your gardens, and droppings are very unsightly!

So, what do you do? . . . Try these 5 strategies for a bird-free garden!

1. Bird Barriers

This is probably the most effective bird control strategy.

Bird netting can allow the sun or rain through while keeping pesky birds away.

They are simple to install and can just be tossed on top of your fruit trees.

For some common plants like blueberries, you can erect fence posts, bamboo or other stakes which the bird netting can hang on and sturdily anchor it to the ground with strong wires.

If carefully handled and maintained nets can be reused for several years.

Moreover, any bird guard material can be effective, like window screening and chicken wire (smaller birds can pass through).

If birds are pecking on your freshly planted garden seeds, then you can cover them with a layer of landscape tulle or fabric and removing them when the seeds have germinated enough.

You can also attach spikes to the building where birds love to congregate.

2. Get A Dog

Sheepdogs, border collies, and other breeds love to chase birds are quite good at it.

You can either hire a trained dog handler so they can patrol a bird-infested area or get a dog for yourself and train him.

Walk your dog in the early evening and early morning hours when birds are most active.

You not only control pesky birds but you also got yourself an adorable pooch to live with.

3. Scare Tactics

Birds are scared of humans, however, who likes the idea of standing in their garden all day long?

Well, a scarecrow can do the trick.

You can buy a pre-made one from your local garden store. Or, much better, create your own scarecrow by simply constructing a cross out of woods, cover it with clothes and stuffed it with straws to make it more realistic.

You can place your scarecrow in the vicinity of the birds and watch them fly away scarily.

You need to move your scarecrow around every few days in order to prevent pesky birds from getting too comfortable with it.

You can also change its clothes to scare birds more.

Like scarecrows, you can also place decoys throughout your garden.

Get a number of cheap, plastic animal decoys and place them on your garden.

Choose natural predators of birds such as coyotes, swans, owls, and snakes.

Re-position them every few days in order to keep the birds on edge.

4. Activate Water Deterrents

This strategy might not be feasible in every space, however, it can be a great tool in keeping birds away from your plants and vegetation while also effortlessly showering them with water.

You can buy and install a motion-sensor sprinkler aimed at the infested bird area.

Every time a bird tries to land on your precious garden, the sprinkler will sense them and a spray of water will be sprayed, scaring them away.

Do not worry about the strength of the water stream since they are harmless and only keep birds away.

5. Build A Distraction

The only reason why birds love to hang out in your garden is that they are looking for an easy and convenient food source to nibble on.

Building bird feeders are a great way to attract these birds to a particular area in your garden and keep them away from other areas that you want them to avoid.

Just make sure that you monitor your feeds every day and give those birds an easy access in order for them not to look at other food sources in your garden.

Conclusion

Although some birds can be quite beautiful to look and enjoy at others can be downright destructive and pesky.

The tips above can help in order to deal with a pesky bird problem.

If these birds stubbornly decline to leave, then boost up your efforts by trapping or hunting them, or call in pest control pros in Pretoria.