Tips for deterring birds from your crops

[Snadger]

Black thread strung along seedling rows, netting for brassicas and soft fruit and enviromesh for carrots.
I'm going to make a scarecrow this year,not so much to scare the birds, rather to brighten up my allotment!

[KevinM67]

I'm going to make a scarecrow this year,not so much to scare the birds, rather to brighten up my allotment!

Model it on someone from on here (even if you don't know what they actually look like)

Post a pic... then let us try and try and guess who it is.

[top up]

In great granddad's day shoot one pigeon & hang it up as a bird scarer, I think others have tried a large potato spiked with feathers & long ones for the wings & use these as a deterrent. would do neither myself, not tired pigeon ,& would not waste a spud .

[Coopers]

Shotgun... Simple as that...

[Coopers]

P.s. im so joking. i use netting. Though pigeons still managed to find a way last week to eat my kale

[GreenPete]

A physical barrier such as netting is the only sure fire way, just make sure with netting that it’s tidy with no loose bits that could trap small birds.
CD’s don’t do anything, but I used to find whistling tape used to have some effect. I don’t know if you can still buy it, but the tape from an old audio cassette or video stretched between two stakes will work and whistle in the wind. It spooks both feathered and fury pets but it’s only effective then the wind blows.

[dann]

I have been using black and yellow hazard ribbon tape for the last two years, (500 mtrs for about £6, non sticky, same type of material as a plastic bag), just tear a length off, tie it to a stick and place it around your veg. Don't know if its the colour, or the tape flapping about which scares the pigeons, but its the second year Iv'e tried if and so far no casualties. Each length will last for a season before the colour fades.

[Jonny.D]

Used pea & bean netting to keep the pigeons off

Had a problem with blackbirds, put down some sticks & milk cartons and this has worked for me, the smaller birds are still getting in to pick off insects.

[cazsudz]

I find CDs work well to keep the sparrows off my peas and use netting (small. Gauge) to keep pigeons and butterflies of the brassicas.