Bird Deterrents

Why do people garden when they can go to a farmer’s market or the local grocery store to get fruit and vegetables and go to the corner flower shop to pick out beautiful cut flowers?  Gardening is really an art that has been past down for thousands of years.  Gardening at one time was about the need for food.  Back in the 16th and 17th century, ideas about gardening changed from need to also symmetry, proportion and balance.  The Renaissance gardener adorned their gardens with sculptures, fountains and topiary.  Water organs played music that often times imitated bird songs.  One has to wonder if the problems current gardeners face in reference to bird control was an issue back then. 

Keeping birds out of the garden is a necessity for most gardeners.  There are many benefits of a bird in the vegetable garden.  Certain birds eat insects, worms, aphids, caterpillars, slugs which are known to destroy roots and leaves of the vegetable plants.  Larger birds such as crows even swoop down and pick up mice here and there.  The benefit of birds in the garden does not outweigh the disadvantage however.  Crows can also swoop down, perch and eat the seeds you have planted.    Pest birds also eat all kinds of berries and fruits.  Sometimes it is not just one or two birds, but starlings for example, congregate in large groups and can cause devastation if the garden is not protected.

Protecting the garden does not have to consist of loud noises, such as gun shots or placing barbed wire around the plants, to get rid of the birds.  There are many safe and humane physical bird deterrent options to create your own individualized bird control system.

Bird Control Options

Physical bird deterrents are a type of bird control that will physically block birds from the area that you are trying to keep the birds away from.  Bird spikes are a great example of a physical bird deterrent.  When protecting the garden area, bird spikes can be placed on the rooftop edges or patio covering.  They can be installed on any flat surface where the birds may perch.  Perching pest birds have their eyes open for their next snack or meal.  If they are sitting on the rooftop ledge, they have the perfect bird’s eye view of your bounty.  Using bird spikes will prevent the larger birds like the pigeons, crows and gulls from landing on the area.  There are different kinds of bird spikes, stainless steel bird spikes and plastic bird spikes.  Both kinds are virtually invisible when installed correctly.  They come in different widths and sizes to accommodate your specific structure.  Plastic bird spikes come in a variety of colors such as brick red, light grey, tan, brown and white and black.  They will blend in perfectly with your home or business and only the birds will know they are there. 

Bird netting is another physical bird deterrent that will save your garden and keep the birds blocked from getting to your fruits and vegetable plants, including fruit trees.  It is a very easy and low profile method to include as part of your individualized bird control system.  Garden bird netting has different mesh sizes; ¾”, ¼” and ½” sizing.  It is U.V. protected and durable and will last the season.  It comes in convenient large rolls that can be cut to size depending on your gardening projects.  It is recommended that the garden bird netting be installed in a way where it is suspended over the berry bushes or vegetable plants.   Suspension of about 6 inches will give enough room between the plant and the garden bird netting in case a bird decides to rest upon the netting.  The pest bird will not be able to get at anything beyond the mesh.  The garden bird netting can be easily suspending using a series of poles placed around the garden area.  The netting can then be secured to the poles using twine, hog rings or zip ties.  Plants can even be wrapped individually for protection.

Physical bird deterrents will not only protect your garden but your entire backyard, including your patio.  When birds are allowed to congregate, what you are going to get is a whole lot of poop.  Bird droppings bring about an entirely different problem.  They harbor fungus and disease.   A person can become very ill when they come into contact with the dust that can be created by the bird droppings.  Elderly and younger children are especially susceptible to the diseases.

It is well known that gardening is beneficial to one’s body as well as one’s mind.  It is truly a labor of love for a lot of people, and it has been for centuries.  It is a stress reliever and very personally satisfying to watch blooms begin, and eventually taste what is grown by your own hands.  Protecting this investment of time and money can easily be accomplished by the simple plan of a physical deterrent used to get rid of the pest birds and to keep them away.  Safe, humane and strategic bird control should be in everybody’s garden.