You Already Have What It Takes To Rid Your Garden Of Pesky Birds

Oct 29, 2023

If you're trying to grow a garden or have fruit ripening in a tree, birds can bring more headaches than entertainment to your yard. While there are many kinds of pest decoys and other contraptions you can buy to keep backyard fowl at bay, something you likely have in your home and no longer use can also be employed as a bird deterrent. About to get rid of some old compact discs? Not so fast. Those shiny CDs you've been holding onto forever can be just what you need for bothersome bird prevention.

If you've already donated all your CDs to a local charity, consider visiting a local thrift shop to inexpensively buy some back for this purpose. Neighborhood "buy nothing" groups you can join via Facebook are also a good source for nabbing free compact discs that your neighbors have lying around unused. The best news about this idea? It's really easy to put these types of deterrents up in your garden or grove to move annoying birds along.

Blank compact discs free of any writing will be ideal in this situation. Having two sides of reflective material will ensure that your CD deterrents are seen by the birds you want to keep away. If all you have are undesired music CDs (or movie DVDs) with labels on one side, they'll do in a pinch. Punching holes in them and attaching string, yarn, or fishing line to the top (like you were creating a mobile) allows the CD to turn freely when hung. Alternatively, you can use the hole already in the center of the disc.

You'll likely find that they're most effective in fruit trees when they're hung at varying heights among the branches. Place them all around the tree for maximum effectiveness. In vegetable gardens, CDs should also be hung in various locations to make sure birds catch a glimpse of them. Putting up some stakes with rope attached all around your garden bed and then hanging CDs so they freely dangle as the wind stirs can offer ample intimidation needed to keep irksome birds away. Even if you just have a few tomato plants you're trying to protect, hanging a CD or two nearby can do the trick.

Birds, despite the negative connotations of the term "bird-brained," have proven to be quite clever when humans try to outsmart them. In addition to knowing that scarecrows aren't very scary and learning to tune out sound machines, they often find their way through animal netting to access gardens. While special bird netting can protect plants, it can be harmful when birds become trapped in it, especially when draped over trees. Compact discs offer a less harmful alternative, and it's all about the shine.

The super shiny nature of CDs makes them effective bird deterrents. When hung so they dangle in the breeze, the light they reflect catches the eye of a bird and provides just enough startled confusion to keep them away. If you arrange your dangling CDs so that they bump against each other a bit, that's even better. Birds can get used to repetitive noises and begin to ignore them, but random clinks and clacks serve as an additional deterrent.

After you harvest your garden or pick your ripened fruit, you can remove the CDs and reserve them for another growing season. The birds you like to see visiting your feeders and baths in your yard will return, and you can get back to enjoying visits from your feathered friends instead of putting up with aggravation.