Getting rid of birds

[David Schwinghamer]

What methods have you been successful with scaring birds away from your veggie plants? I have heard about nets, shiny things, spices, what is your cure?

[Bob Campbell]

I placed Mylar tape over my koi pond to keep the egrets from eating my fish. My wife made me take it down, but I noticed that it did not keep the small birds away so I doubt it really works.  I see a lot of almond farmers using it in the trees, but I think they may be trying to keep deer away.  I'm not sure.  I finally put black bird netting around the pond and the egrets came and got all tangled in it.  I was temped to grab him by the neck and wring it, but I stood back and let him get away.  I have not closed the pond off tightly.  I only wanted to keep the fish safe from egrets.  I think the bird netting would work well if it were closed around the garden.  It works well in fruit trees, but what a pain to take down!

[Matt Miskinnis]

pellet guns work pretty good....

[Liz & Dan]

Small birds are a pain.  The biggest problem I've found is that no matter what you do they get used to it and come back.  The best thing I've used so far are the 'scary eye' balloons.  But even mylar, cds, scary balloons, etc have to be moved around every week or so or they start to ignore it.  When I first ordered my scary eye balloons and moved them every Saturday, they effectively kept the little and big birds at bay for months.  Then I got complacent, stopped rotating them around and within a few weeks the birds figured out they were not going to get hurt and the buffet was back open.

[Jim Troyer]

I built a wooden cage around my grow bed in the fall and tacked bird screen to it, when the birds stole all my seeds right out of the net pots...<grrr> 

Soon after, I was placing blankets on it for front protection. 

A few months later I stapled shade cloth to it.  It's been there 3 years now and I still enjoy its useful properties.

[Jim Troyer]

*frost protection

[David Schwinghamer]

I found this product, unfortunately HD doesn't have it in stock, internet only. I did get some of that hvac repair tape that has  one shiny side first.

[Bob Campbell]

David I look forward to your bird b gone review.  It did not work for me.

[Pat James]

Birds tend to get used to anything after a short time. anything from flashy streamers to plastic owls, or snakes work for a couple days then the birds ignore them. I have resorted to even cutting some of my shrubbery in the yard the birds were using for nesting.

Last year I did not get any ripe blueberries. The birds would get them before they were even ripe. so far this year, have not seen a ripe one either, but I cannot tell yet if they were delayed or the birds get them as soon as they begin to turn...

I'm going with the pellet gun idea.... I still might not get any blueberries, but I'll get a little satisfaction!!!
:D :D :D

[Liz & Dan]

I should also mention that even when I started rotating the balloons around again, they no longer scared the birds.  So I've taken them down and will put them back out in the fall.  Until then, the peaches, apricots and other ripening fruit seems to have distracted them somewhat from the garden.

Liz & Dan said:

Small birds are a pain.  The biggest problem I've found is that no matter what you do they get used to it and come back.  The best thing I've used so far are the 'scary eye' balloons.  But even mylar, cds, scary balloons, etc have to be moved around every week or so or they start to ignore it.  When I first ordered my scary eye balloons and moved them every Saturday, they effectively kept the little and big birds at bay for months.  Then I got complacent, stopped rotating them around and within a few weeks the birds figured out they were not going to get hurt and the buffet was back open.

[Jim Troyer]

How about hoop net structures?  That's what my father set up around his peach trees

[Liz & Dan]

Geez, there is so much fruit, I really don't complain about the birds taking some!  Between our house and our rental next door we have over 100 fruit trees, hoop nets or tulle frbric covers are too much work.  It's hard enough to get out there, harvest and process and that is with a few neighbors helping with the canning and freezing!  No worries with the birdies and fruit - birdies and greens are another matter entirely!!  

[David Schwinghamer]

This is really strange, my veggies are being attacked under my shade cloth but things aren't being touched 10 feet away under my back covered porch? I also noticed this morning that a new tomato plant with a few branches and no fruit was completely striped of all its leaves.