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So, you’ve spent all year working hard on your garden, but you just can’t keep those pesky birds away from your favorite flowers…
We know how frustrating it can be, which is why we’ve put together our top tips for making your outdoor space birdproof!
Why Bird Proof Your Garden?
Not only is it frustrating when they squash your plants and eat your fruit trees, but birds also carry serious dangers.
They leave droppings wherever they go, which are a nuisance to clean up. However, that’s not the only problem.
Bird droppings carry diseases that quickly spread to humans via breathing in contaminated air particles or ingesting dirty water.
These diseases will then turn into illnesses, some possibly life-threatening, including salmonella poisoning, toxoplasmosis, and even meningitis.
As well as diseases, their droppings can create a dangerous slip hazard for anyone unlucky enough to walk through them.
Did you know that bird droppings are acidic? This means that repeated bird poo in the same area can result in structural damage to your property!
Another way birds can damage your property is their nests. Birds build their nests out of natural, dry materials like sticks. Often deciding to make their home in sheltered areas of the property, like guttering or sheds, these nests can cause further issues.
Nests in guttering can lead to serious drainage problems and may need replacing or professional cleaning. Similarly, birds’ nests in a shed can dramatically increase your risk of a fire due to the high volume of dried materials around.
It’s clear to see that birds are more of a danger to us than you may realize, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered…
Methods for Bird Proofing Your Garden
You can do many things to deter and control birds in your garden, thereby keeping you, your garden, and your loved ones safe.
Please make sure you order from a trustworthy site when purchasing the following equipment. Bird control products should only be trusted when obtained from a licensed, high-quality supplier, like 1env Pest Control, who sells to professional pest controllers and DIY enthusiasts. Here are our favorite ways to keep birds away from your outdoor space:
Bird Decoys
The bird control market is vast, with hundreds of different options available. However, one of the simplest and most effective ways (especially outdoors) is to use bird decoys.
These are essentially life-size replicas of predator birds that you can quickly hook up in place in your garden to scare off your regular visitors. They are lightweight and will move naturally, even in the slightest breeze. This helps them appear more realistic in the eyes of other birds, making them more effective.
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Netting
Bird netting is an ideal way to cover specific things you value. They come in a range of sizes and could be utilized to protect your prize rose bush or even cover your whole shed roof.
They are easy to fit; just be sure to measure the affected area beforehand and consider the bird types in your garden. For example, smaller birds require a much denser net, so they can’t squeeze through the gaps.
Shiny Objects
A great DIY alternative if you’re on a tight budget. Birds are naturally afraid of new items, and hanging shiny objects around your outdoor space will easily frighten them away.
Cut up some old CDs or DVDs and loop some thread or fishing wire through them. Hang these around your garden, and the light will reflect off them. While this method is affordable and easy to do, it’s not the longest-lasting method on this list, so do bear that in mind.
Spikes
Probably the most popular bird control method on the market, spikes are easy to apply, and despite common beliefs, don’t harm the birds! Instead, they act as both a visual and physical barrier for birds, scaring them away and not allowing them to perch.
These are ideal if you have birds in your garden that always sit in the same area. Simply measure the site, purchase the correct spikes and stick them down – problem solved.
Depending on how severe your bird problem is, you could always try a combination of more than one of these methods together for the intended outcome.
Every bird problem is unique, so pick a method that sounds the most suitable for your outdoor space and give it a go! If it’s not entirely effective, try it in combination with others or just try a different method altogether. Good luck!
