Having an extravagant garden or a beautiful backyard is a goal for most men and women! If you’re blessed enough to have a tidy and neat backyard around your home, make sure to maintain it and always keep it at its optimal state. For some people, this can become a problem when dealing with some bugs, pesticides, or even, you wouldn’t believe it, birds! If you’re trying to keep birds away from your backyard, here are the top 6 helpful tips that will help you with your goals.
Why are birds attracted in the first place?
A lot of people forget that pet food is attractive for birds as well. If you have a lot of pets, food, or water in your backyard, you will most likely attract some birdies. Birds are also attracted to plants and grass, so you will run into some new pals in your backyard sooner or later.
If you want to know a thing or two more about birds and backyard maintenance, you can check out Wildbirdworld.com. They have some amazing tips and tricks for bird lovers, experts, as well as beginners. They also have some bird-inspired merch that you will love to wear on your casual days!
6 DIY ways to keep birds away from your backyard
1. Habitat modification
Habitat modification means making your garden or your backyard practical and suitable for you and your closest ones, as well as your pets. You should do slight renovations such as remove any water fountains or water features in your backyard if you want to keep your birds as far away as possible.
However, if you really want to have that water detail, try to substitute freshwater with saltwater. Birds can smell the salt, so they will stay away from it at all times.
If you plan on feeding your pets outside, make sure to create a small space for them where they can eat food and drink water. Once done, bring back their bowl to the house so that no birds can gather around it.
2. Bird net
Bird netting can be quite beneficial for your backyard. You can create a wood or metal framework around your garden, trees, or flowers, but place a bird net on top to cover it. Make sure that the mesh is big enough and that it can cover your entire fruit field, garden, or your flowers. Make sure that you:
- Use your bird net before your crops are ripe. This way it is a lot easier to prevent and stop the birds from feeding on your crops.
- Make an exit route in your net. It is vital to always remember to have that backdoor option.
3. Auditory protection
Did you know that birds hear sounds in the 1-4 kHz range? Some companies love to create devices, tools, and sounds that create predator growls that scare away birds from this area, which can come in handy if you live in the woods, or somewhere a bit more rural. These devices are often solar-powered and they will scare away most animals that are nearby. If a bird ends up flying to this range, the noise will automatically turn on and will scare the birds away. If you live somewhere where there are loads of different animals in general, this may come in handy.
4. Repellents & decoys
Repellents will ward off birds or any type of smaller mammals. You could also use different decoys to scare these birds away. Most people love to use a plastic owl decoy and place it on tree branches, or on top of your house and the roof. This will scare away the birds and will let them know what’s headed their way before they even land to the ground.
You could also use a decoy in your pond or around your fountain if you wish to go that extra mile, and protect your water bases as well. Coyote decoys or alligators can also do the trick!
PS: Make sure to move around your toys or your decoys every couple of days. Real predators do not stay in the same place for too long, and birds know this. Move your decoys and play with different ones as often as possible.
5. Bird spikes
Bird spikes may sound a bit harsh, but they will prevent birds from roosting on the fence or around your tree branches. You could use stainless steel spikes since these are super thin and they will not harm the birds in any way. These come in 10-foot lengths and are handy for any type of birds, big or small ones. If the bird tries to land down it will face the spike, which will make it fly away immediately. These spikes are available in some stores only, as well as online, so make sure to do your research before you make your purchase.
6. Bird traps
Traps have a long history and they’ve been used in different ways when it comes to birds. Trapping birds can be tricky since you have to purchase so many different kinds and sizes of these traps for different types of birds. Make sure that you have at least one trap for sparrows, and another tor cardinals or pigeons. These traps will work the best once placed next to bird feeders for the first few days. If some of our previously mentioned ideas didn’t work for you, this should be your last & final resort, as well as your final go-to step.
Ready to enjoy your backyard garden the right way?
So, are you ready to experience a beautiful garden and keep all of the birds at bay? This process doesn’t have to be a hassle, just make sure to do some of these recommended top 6 steps. Your home can look peaceful and beautiful, just be patient. In time you and your family, along with your pets, will enjoy a peaceful garden without any humming, or sudden visitors!