What is the Best Bird Deterrent for Your Home? Our Expert's Top 6 Choices
Feathered visitors are often a delightful sight, but they can become a true nemesis for gardeners who want to protect their hard-earned crops. The solution? Bird deterrents!
There is an array of bird deterrents that you can use to effectively keep pecking beaks far away from your garden. But, choosing the best deterrent will depend on a few different factors.
The species of birds you’re dealing with and the severity of the problem will play a crucial role in selecting the right deterrent.
So, how do you choose the best bird deterrent for your garden? Our experts have narrowed down the top six choices that are both effective and humane, along with some of their top tips.
Top 6 Bird Deterrents For Your Garden
Commercial or domestic, big or small, no garden is immune to pesky birds.
They’re partial to fruits, vegetables, and seeds, making them a nuisance for gardeners. Not to mention, they can make your outdoor space messy with their droppings and feathers!
We’ve rounded up our top bird control choices and strategies:
| (1) Removing Food Sources |
| (2) Bird Netting |
| (3) Ultrasonic Repellent |
| (4) Anti-Bird Spikes |
| (5) Anti-Bird Gel |
| (6) Visual Bird Scarers |
(1) Removing Food Sources
First things first, limit the amount of food available for birds. The less reason they have to take flight to your garden, the better.
Birds are often attracted to gardens that offer an abundance of food. This could range from
- Open bins where food scraps are easily accessible
- Fallen produce from fruit trees
- Berry-laden bushes that provide a natural pantry
- Bird feeders
By ensuring food wastes are securely contained and fallen fruits are promptly picked and discarded, you can significantly reduce the avian appeal of your garden.
Also, if you have a habit of feeding pets outside, consider altering this routine or only providing food during times when birds are less active to minimise unwanted visitors.
(2) Bird Netting
Bird netting is a brilliant solution to keeping birds off your plants, crops, and buildings.
If your garden is abundant with fruit bushes or trees, you might find that birds are more drawn to your home. This can be frustrating, especially if you want to enjoy the fruits of your labour!
Bird netting is a simple and effective way to protect your plants from being eaten or your property being disturbed by birds.
You’re essentially creating a barrier between the animals and your crops or facility. If they learn that they can’t access the area, they should eventually move on. Or, at least, the netting will stop them from reaching your produce or landing on your building.
Read our garden bird netting tips on how to keep your outdoor space free from pesky birds.
How to Choose the Right Type of Bird Netting
The most important thing here is to make sure you’re installing the correct type of bird netting, most notably the mesh size.
Smaller birds, such as sparrows, have a lot of room to squeeze through a larger mesh size, whereas larger birds, like pigeons and crows, need a smaller mesh to prevent them from getting in.
Another factor to consider is the strength of the netting. Birds are tenacious creatures and will try their best to get through any obstacles in their way. Make sure you’re using durable bird netting that can withstand their pecking and pulling.
| Bird Netting Type | Mesh Size | Most Effective For… |
|---|---|---|
| 20mm Multi-Purpose Netting | 20mm |
|
| 50mm Pigeon Netting | 50mm |
|
| 30mm Knotless Starling Netting | 30mm |
|
(3) Ultrasonic Repellent
Ultrasonic repellents are designed to deter birds by emitting sound waves that are typically beyond the range of human hearing.
These high-frequency sounds are unsettling to birds, as they mimic the alarm and distress calls of their species or the sounds of predators, thus creating an unfriendly environment for them.
The technology is made to be non-harmful, only causing discomfort to the birds to encourage them to seek more peaceful areas.
They're an ideal choice for urban gardens where noise can be a concern for neighbours
(4) Anti-Bird Spikes
Anti-bird spikes act as a physical barrier to prevent birds from landing and nesting on roofs, ledges, and other areas of your property.
Contrary to popular belief, bird spikes are actually a humane bird deterrent method. They aren’t designed to harm birds but rather discourage them by making surfaces uncomfortable or impossible for them to perch on.
Our bird spikes have blunt tips, which means they won’t pierce or harm birds if they do somehow manage to land on them.
By installing these spikes, particularly in popular roosting spots, you can effectively deter birds from settling and causing the property damage often associated with roosting or nesting birds.
We stock a wide range of bird deterrent spikes to suit your specific needs, including…
| Deterrent Type | Most Suitable For… |
|---|---|
| Pigeon Bird Spikes - ProPoint 2 |
|
| Plastic Fence & Gate Deterrent Spikes |
|
| Daddi Long Legs Bird Deterrent |
|
| Pinpoint Chimney Pot Spike |
|
| Gull Bird Spikes - ProPoint 4 Gull |
|
(5) Anti-Bird Gel
Anti-bird gel is another humane deterrent that prevents birds from settling on structures without causing them harm.
When applied to potential perch areas, the sticky texture of the gel makes the surface uncomfortable for birds to land on.
The non-toxic Ornaway® Bird Gel contains ingredients that affect birds' olfactory and visual senses by appearing as flames in their UV vision, thus creating an uninviting landing spot for them.
It's a discreet solution that does not alter the aesthetics of your property and is especially suitable for historical buildings or homes where visual impact is a concern.
(6) Visual Bird Scarers
Visual bird scarers (a bit like a scarecrow) are an effective way to keep birds from invading your vegetable garden without causing them harm.
These deterrents take various forms, such as
- Reflective tapes
- Predatory bird decoys
- Wind-activated devices
- Owl decoys
- Hawk silhouettes
These disconcert and confuse birds, making them less likely to land.
The reflective surfaces of tapes and mirrors create unpredictable patterns of light when moved by the breeze, which birds find threatening.
Similarly, the silhouettes of hawk or owl decoys instil fear, as these predator replicas imply a risky environment.
By strategically placing these visual scarers around your garden, you create the illusion of a dangerous area for birds, encouraging them to find safer feeding grounds elsewhere.
Pest Bird Control Tips From UK Pest Control Experts
Why Are Birds Attracted to Your Garden?
Birds are often drawn to gardens as they provide a variety of resources that satisfy their needs. These may include water features that offer hydration and bathing opportunities, dense foliage that provides shelter and nesting sites, and abundant insect populations for feeding.
Gardens with plenty of flowering plants can also attract birds due to their production of nectar.
Garden Birds Aren’t Always Bad!
Of course, birds bring their own benefits to your garden. From helping to control insect populations to pollinating plants, they can play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
It can also be a nice sight to see and hear birds singing in your garden. Many people will even bird spot or participate in birdwatching as a hobby, making gardens an ideal place to observe various species.
So, while they may become a nuisance, it’s important to remember that garden birds are a natural part of the environment, so you should deter them humanely and safely.
Does Scaring Birds Away Act as a Long-Term Deterrent?
While scaring birds can be effective temporarily, it may not serve as a long-term deterrent.
If the underlying attractions in your garden remain, such as food and shelter, nuisance birds are likely to return.
If you want lasting results, it's crucial to combine scare tactics with other methods, such as removing food sources, using anti-bird netting, or installing physical deterrents to alter the habitat in a way that is persistently uninviting to birds.
Summary: Keep Your Garden Bird-Free with Huck Nets
Nobody wants to see their plants getting sabotaged or house becoming a nesting site for birds. Luckily, though, there are many bird deterrent solutions that can help keep your home free from pesky feathered visitors.
Combine protective methods with scare tactics for long-term results, and consider installing anti-bird netting or physical deterrents to alter the habitat in a way that will discourage birds from returning.
You can shop the products we mentioned above or head on over to our full range of bird deterrents for more effective solutions.
FAQs
How Do You Make Homemade Bird Scarers?
Homemade bird scarers can be made by hanging shiny objects like old CDs, aluminium foil strips, or reflective tape around your garden. These items move in the wind and reflect sunlight, creating an environment that is visually unsettling for birds.
Additionally, you can create scarecrows, use toy snakes, or hang wind chimes to further deter birds with movement and sound.
What is the Best Bird Scarer for a Garden?
The most effective bird control methods for a garden are subjective, and they often depend on the specific bird species you're trying to deter.
However, a combination of deterrents, such as ultrasonic devices, visual scares like reflective tape, bird netting, and spikes, often yields the best results by addressing various sensory cues that birds rely on, creating an unwelcoming environment for them.
Are Bird Spikes Humane?
Bird spikes are indeed humane; they're designed to prevent unwanted birds from landing without causing injury. By making surfaces uncomfortable, they simply encourage birds to perch elsewhere, thus effectively deterring them without harm.
Does Bird Netting Affect Insects Responsible for Pollination?