Don’t you hate it when birds keep getting in your way of having a beautiful, verdant garden? Well, we can relate to that.
Birds are just intolerable, they make a public toilet out of everything in our yard, they chirp nonstop when we try to take a nap. And the worst has yet to come, they swallow all our grass seeds!
If you’re thinking about teaching those flying seed stealers a lesson, you’ve come to the right place.
After days and days of research and experiences, we’ve found out how to keep birds from eating grass seed and draw those little winged nightmares from your beautiful garden.
And of course, we are thrilled to share them with you guys. Keep scrolling down for more details!
What You Need to Know
There is a fact that nobody can disagree: Birds are fierce and agile eaters. They pick up seeds in, like, a flash, you leave your seeds unattended for one second and then the next they have already snatched them.
They might look cute, they might have a nice voice, but don’t let that fool you. Deep inside, they are little monsters that want nothing more than to devastate your grass seeds.
And it gets worse, once other birds spot one of their kind on your lawn, they will all fly down to have some catching up for. And guess what would be the snacks during their happy chat? The grass seeds you just sowed!
Well, the good news is, there are some easy solutions to this bothersome issue. And it gets better, you will only have to wait a month at best to see the effects.
Let’s get into it! We have the ultimate ‘How to Keep Birds From Eating Grass Seed’ guild book for you. We’ll walk you through the whole process bit by bit.
Ways to Keep Birds From Eating Grass Seed
Cover Up the Grass Seeds
Spread Some Mulch
Mulching can make a great barrier to protect your grass seeds from those chirping seed-terminators.
Beyond that, it helps retain moisture from the soil and keep the weed from growing. And with them out of sight, your grass garden will be green and thick in a jiffy.
And the greatest thing is, mulching is simple. All you have to do is to cover ¾ of the soil with mulch. Make sure to use straw mulch that is certified as weed-free.
After a few weeks, the seeds should have germinated, and you can then remove the straw. Carefully rake the straw out to avoid damaging the newly grown grass.
Lay Down a Burlap Sheet
What if you’re living in a windy area and the wind can most likely blow the mulch, or worse, blow the seeds away?
In that case, you’ll need something more steady to protect your seeds from birds, yet, still let them receive enough sunlight, moisture, and heat so that they can grow in an appropriate environment.
The answer to that is a sheet of burlap. You can buy new burlap rolls or just use the good old sacks you have in your storage.
Just like mulching, this method is all but a walk in the park. You only need to keep the cover in place by pinning the edges down to the ground by wire U pins, and that’s it. The job is completed!
Use Bird Netting
Alternatively, you can use bird netting to prevent birds from reaching your seeds. Although it can be quite troubling if there’s a tree in your lawn, it could get in the net’s way.
Here’s how you do it. Prepare some stakes and put them down the four corners of your lawn. Then, hook the net tightly up to those stakes and stretch it up. Finally, do some measuring to make sure that the net stays a few inches above the ground.
Note that when buying bird nets, choose one made from nylon. Those are strong enough to withstand any weather condition.
Bird Deterrents
Bird Repellent Seeds
Bird repellent seeds, as their names suggest, taste horrible to birds. (If you wonder how awful their taste can possibly be, imagine broccoli pizza!). Sowing them with grass seeds will make those seed-eaters scratch your lawn out of their “go-to list.”
You can buy these seeds in any gardening or home improvement stores, or some eCommerce stores in case your local shops do not have those.
Fake Predators
Remember those scarecrows you’ve seen on the farms or in those cowboy movies? They frighten the living daylights out of the birds.
Even if your lawn appears as a tasty feast to them, they still won’t lay a single foot on the ground if they see something resembling a threatdown there.
You can take advantage of that. Throwing a few rubber snakes around your lawn will do the trick. Birds are also terrified of hawks and owls, so putting an imitation of them on your lawn works, too.
But beware: ‘bird-brain’ is not entirely true, those pesky winged creatures are smart enough to recognize decoys after a few days. That’s why you might want to switch these visual deterrents on a weekly basis.
Bird Tape
Another fear that birds have are noisy and reflective objects, bird tapes are one of them. They sparkle under the sunlight and whirs in the winds, sending the birds away from your lawn.
If you happen to have mylar tapes at home, you can make good use of them. Mylar tapes also flash well in the sunlight and create sounds that birds have a strong distaste for.
The most effective way to use reflective tapes is to hang them loosely across the lawn on the posts. Those posts should be around 1 meter in height, and you should place them 3 meters away from each other around the edges of your lawn.
Rule of thumb: It’s important that you hang them loose. That way, they can shift with the wind and do their job.
Make Some Noise
As we mentioned, birds are not very fond of noisy places. As loud as they can get in the morning, they prefer peaceful and quiet places.
This means that you can bug them off just by inserting wind chimes or any other noise deterrent on your lawn.
Distract the Birds to Another Area
If you’re looking for a more friendly solution, give the birds their own easy meals. Between digging to find newly planted grass seed and picking up visible seeds, it’s not hard to see which one they’ll go for.
Installing a bird feeder is one simple method. Not only can it draw the bird away by giving them an alternative food source but also bring a country vibe to your house.
There’s only one catch: the distance between the bird feeder and the lawn has to be far enough so the birds won’t go near their second option. So, unfortunately, this will not be a good fit for those with modest-sized gardens.
Sow Extra Seeds
Don’t want to put too much effort chasing off birds? Simply plant more seeds and your problems are solved.
When you’re sowing grass seeds, go for an extra 25% to 50%. That should be enough for the birds to gnaw on and leave the rest of the seeds germinate in peace.
The Wrap Up
These are the ways we found super effective and cost-friendly to stop the hungry birds from stealing grass seeds. You can try a few of them to see what’s best for you, they’re all extremely simple to carry out and cost less than a meal at Chipotle.
That’s all you need to know about how to keep birds from eating grass seeds for a beautiful lawn. Let us know in the comment section whether they worked or if you have any stories to share. We’re more than happy to hear from you.