Pigeons can be a real menace in the garden, particularly during the summer months when they are known to peck at fruits and vegetables. Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time.
More info The docility of pigeons can be deceiving as these birds can become a real nuisance, particularly during the summer months when they like to get their beaks stuck into our garden plants, fruits and vegetables. On top of their destructive tendencies, these pesky pigeons are also carriers of uninvited guests such as salmonella. This becomes a health concern for us humans if their feathers or droppings contaminate our gardens.
Seeing your hard-earned gardening work decimated by these birds can be distressing. Monty Don, the renowned presenter from Gardeners' World, suggests a rather simple approach to warding off these unwelcome visitors - just hang up old objects with reflective surfaces, reports the Express . In his Daily Mail column, Monty said: "When I was a child, pigeons were enemy number one and the vegetable patch was strung with milk bottle tops in an attempt to deter them.
I remember we painted cola bottles bright red and stuck them on bean sticks, although I'm not sure a red bottle is the most terrifying thing to a passing pigeon. "In the 1990s all the freebie CDs that came with almost every newspaper got recycled as pigeon scarers, and old cassette tape was excellent strung between canes." This trick may sound bizarre but the flashes of light from reflecting surfaces, magnified by the sun, often confuse the pigeons.
They mistake this for potential danger or predator presence. Pigeons, being extremely cautious creatures, will get scared by any foreign movement. This discourages them from intruding into the garden and it does so without causing them any harm.
You can use old CDs, DVDs or cassette tapes to deter pigeons - the reflective surfaces and movement can help scare them away. Not thrilled about decorating your garden with outdated music media? Well, traditional scarecrows or even ones designed to resemble owls or hawks could do the trick. These bird predators naturally put fear into pigeons.
Monty said: "None of these added to the beauty of the garden. A scarecrow would do the trick very well and have much more style." Another method for pigeon-proofing your garden is bird netting.
Acting as a physical barrier, it can protect plants or whole sections of your garden. However, make sure it's properly installed - pigeons can be crafty and seek ways around any opening they spot. Monty said: "Cabbages, cauliflowers, sprouts, broccoli, chard and lettuces have to be protected beneath netting.
"Even this is insufficient if it's not put up firmly enough as the birds learn that their body weight will push the netting down so they can peck the leaves through the mesh." So ensure you choose fine-mesh bird netting which can also stop cabbage white butterflies and other crop-munching pests from invading your vegetables..
