Bird Free Gardens

Gardeners all across the nation are busy planting and cultivating their flowers, fruits and vegetables. Then along come those pesky birds to share in the bounty. What can gardeners do to prevent pest birds from damaging their gardens and yards?

Choosing the Correct Bird Control Device

In order to choose the correct product to keep birds from gardens and yards, it is first important to identify the type of bird and what they are doing. There are different products available for birds that are landing on buildings or flat surfaces, birds landing in trees or birds that are just flying by and stopping to gorge on garden delights.

Once the type of bird is determined and what they are doing is identified, it is time to choose a pest bird deterrent.

Types of Bird Deterrents

• Physical bird deterrents such as bird spikes keep pest birds from landing on flat surfaces such as roof edges and peaks, window ledges and other areas of a home or building. They are inexpensive and easy to apply and maintain. They are effective against larger birds such as pigeons and gulls.
• Sound bird deterrents are used to scare birds away using distress and predator calls. These units are usually water resistant and play loud calls that work well in open outdoor areas.
• Visual bird deterrents such as balloons, flash tape and diverters; use a visual distraction to keep the birds away from gardens and fruit trees. They will have shiny reflective material on them that creates a visual distraction to the birds; they do not like it and fly the other way. These products are ideal to hang in fruit trees, on posts in gardens and even from eaves of homes to keep the pest birds away.
• Liquid bird repellents can keep birds out of trees and ducks and geese off of lawns. Bird repellent liquids are sticky substances that is sprayed into trees, when the birds land on the branches they do not like the feeling on their feet and leave. Goose repellent liquids are sprayed on the lawn to flavor them so that the geese do not like the taste and move on.

Pest birds not only cause damage to gardens and yards, the droppings they leave behind can cause health issues. Pest bird droppings can carry up to 60 known transmittable diseases. Some such as West Nile Virus and Histoplasmosis are transmittable to humans and other animals. It is important to do a thorough cleanup before installing or using any type of bird control device.