Bird scarers - what have people found to be most effective?
January Man
Posts: 212
Hi all
I'm looking for some effective solutions to the common bird problem 
My main strawberry patch is covered in netting, and that's working a treat. However, I've got a few more strawberries dotted around the garden here are there, which are a bit more difficult to cover. The birds are also rather partial to my tayberries and peas. They seem to leave the raspberries alone for some reason; although they do rarely get an occasional one. But I can spare them that
I was going to try the CD solution, but I've read mixed opinions on its effectiveness. I love the idea of using little disco balls and may see if I can source them as I think they could look nice if placed well.
What else have people here found to help? If possible, I would like something aesthetically pleasing as we only have a small garden and it surrounds the house.
Many thanks
Max
Posts
Seaside windmills ... I dot a few around the fruit patch and around newly sown seeds ... seems to work.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Haha Dove, I bought a flat pack on ebay last year, got the kids and grandkids making them up, for our cherry tree, didnt put them on the sticks, cable tied them to the tree, we had a big bowl full a day this year, FIRST time ever, we looked at those Kites, (bird,no kids toy) they were £70, "scaredy eye" balloon same price. Hubby made a triangle fruit cage, for strawberries,raspberries and goosgogs, chicken wire opens both sides, the new strawberry plants this year we have up near the house, he made wooden boxes from scafford boards cheap as chips, and the birds arent cheeky enough to come up there, so we have had plenty of strawberries for us thanks.I found the CDs didnt work, maybe I played the wrong music eh LOL
My neighbour also has some seaside windmills dotted about his veg patch - they're big ,about 18" across but certainly seem to work.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Shotgun or AK47, your pick!!
I have a big problem with pigeons at the moment, they love our balcony which is something that is starting to really aggravate me.
Can I get an AK47 on ebay? My daughter who lives in London hates pigeons, I actually like them everywhere we have lived we have 3, peraps they are the SAME 3 coming with us, we also have seagulls (yes, I know they arent called that, my youngest son told me off) but I love their call, makes me think I am on Holiday every day!
At work we use a kite that look vaguely like a bird of prey, it keeps a 5 acre field bird free, the problem is that it scares ALL birds, which probably isn't what you want in your garden, to be honest it's not what we want either, but after loosing 5kg of pea seeds to pidgeons...
My greenhouse mouse had all my pease and sunflower seeds, there was a little hole in the compost, and the "husks" were dumped on the bench!