How to Prevent Birds From Eating Young Plants

Hungry birds are real little devils when you are trying to cultivate certain types of seeds. The taste of the newly emerging seedling is irresistible. When a seed germinates, it converts the starch stored in the seed to sugar. Here are several ways you can protect your new seedlings until they become established.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bird Netting
• Floating Row Covers
• Peat Pots
• Wax-covered Milk Cartons
• Old CDs

1. Plant seeds in peat pots indoors instead of directly into the soil. Once the plants have two sets of leaves, plant them outdoors.

2. Cover seed beds with floating row covers. Floating row covers allow light, water and oxygen to penetrate, but act as a barrier for insects and birds. They do need some sort of frame to keep the cover up, off of the soil.

3. Use flash tape to scare birds away from the seed bed. Flash tape is a mylar tape that flutters in the slightest breeze. Some birds find it terrifying, but some don't mind it at all.

4. Hang old CDs in the garden. The flashing disks rotate in the wind and may frighting away some more timid birds.

5. Cover the entire seed bed with bird netting. You may have to release birds from under the net each morning.

6. Set the sprinkler system to go off at 15 minute intervals. A sudden burst of water will sometimes scare the birds off.

7. Plant individual seeds inside milk carton collars. The milk cartons work like a miniature greenhouse and also act as a physical barrier to prevent birds from reaching the seedlings.

Tips & Warnings

• Once the plant has emerged from the soil and has developed a second set of leaves, the sugar converts back to starch, and the birds are no longer interested.

• Whichever method, or combination of methods you choose, be diligent. Birds are relentless in their quest for your new plants.

• Songbirds are protected in all parts of the United States. Do not harm them in any way.