Raising a crop of fruits and vegetables in your garden is no easy task. Not only do you have to properly care for each plant week after week, but you must also protect them from potential predators. Depending on the types of critters that frequent your neighborhood, you may be up against insects, rabbits, deer, and even coyotes. One garden-loving menace that can be particularly tricky to ward off is birds. Consider a few questions that may help you respond to interloping birds and hold on to as much of your harvest as possible.

Why Are Birds Drawn to Gardens?

Before you can effectively deter birds, you must first pinpoint what it is about your garden that they love so much. First and foremost, birds are attracted to gardens because of the plentiful food sources offered there. Though their diet can vary greatly between species, these critters often snack on your precious fruits and berries. Seeds can also be enticing when they are available. 

Birds may also be drawn to your property in search of shelter. Whether they need a place to build a nest or to wait out a storm, birds respond to beacons such as large trees and thick bushes.

What Makes Birds a Nuisance to Gardeners?

Though birds can be quite beautiful and musically talented, they can do a lot of damage to a gardener’s fruits and vegetables. For one thing, birds may disturb seeds and seedlings before they have the chance to become established. Additionally, birds love to sneak off with the fruits and berries you were hoping to bring home to your family.

Are There Any Perks of Having Birds in Your Garden?

Despite all their antics, birds can also be assets to your garden in some ways. Namely, these aviators love to munch on many of the creepy crawlers that eat at the leaves of your plants. These tiny pests include slugs, snails, caterpillars, and other insects.

What Can You Do To Protect Your Garden From Birds?

If birds are having an overall negative impact on your garden, there are several things you can do to send them packing. First, try obstructing their access to your plants. Using chicken wire, window mesh, or butterfly netting, you can put a barrier between birds and your vegetation without blocking out all the sunlight. You could apply this technique on a large scale by placing poles around your garden and draping a large piece of netting over the whole area. Alternatively, stick arches in the ground along your rows and create a tunnel with your netting to cover smaller sections. Make sure you keep the material taught and pinned down.

Second, try to scare off the birds with various kinds of stimuli. Shiny objects, for instance, can be off putting to birds. Adding shiny pinwheels, ribbons, balloons, or tape to various areas throughout your garden can be very effective at deterring unwanted aviators. Even scarecrows, decoy owls, and rubber snakes can frighten birds. The key is to move these pieces around frequently so birds don’t become accustomed to them.

How Should You Respond If Your Bird Problem Becomes Serious?

If, despite your best efforts, birds are ravaging your garden, don’t give up hope. Bird removal professionals have special techniques that may resolve this issue.

At your local Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, we relocate birds off of homeowners’ property in a way that is safe for humans and birds. Even if your bird problem doesn’t involve your garden, but rather a nest inside your chimney or attic, we are happy to help. When you are in need of wildlife control in Madison, be sure to give Skedaddle a call today.