How to Stop Birds from Building a Nest in Hanging Baskets

Nesting birds can cause damage to hanging baskets.

Hanging baskets can seem like the ideal home for a bird's nest. Baskets are up high and offer protection and camouflage from birds' natural enemies. Unfortunately, a nest can damage your basket, prevent watering and can cause a territorial reaction from the bird. Prevention involves a choice of easy and inexpensive options.

Things You'll Need

• Garlic clove
• Jalapeno pepper
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Toothpicks
• Aluminum foil/pin wheels
• Cotton ball
• Ammonia
• Plastic snake
• Stuffed owl

Instructions

1. Break off a piece of garlic clove and peel back the layers. Cut both the garlic clove and the jalapeno pepper in half. Rub the raw halves of the garlic cloves and the jalapeno pepper along the rim of your basket. The smell will deter birds from making their home in these plants.

2. Place toothpicks sporadically around the top of the basket. The sharp points will discourage the birds from landing there.

3. Dip a cotton ball in ammonia. Sweep the soaked cotton ball along the edges of the basket. Do this once every few weeks to keep the smell active.

4. Position pinwheels or aluminum foil around the edges of your hanging basket. Shiny objects will scare the birds, and the birds will build their nest in a different location.

5. Place faux predatory animals--like a plastic snake or a stuffed owl--near the baskets to scare the birds . The bird's natural survival instincts will keep it away. Hide the snake in between your flowers. You won't be able to see it, but the birds will have no problem spotting it. Move the stuffed owl to a different position every few days to make it look more realistic.

Tips & Warnings

• If a bird has already taken residence in your basket, preventive measures will not work. If a bird's nest has already taken up residence, water around it until the young are hatched. As soon as the young leave, you can get rid of the nest.

References

• Illinois Department of Public Health: Bird Exclusion and Dispersal
• National Garden Assoication: When Birds are Pests