As a gardener, dealing with pesky birds that invade your mulch can be incredibly frustrating. Birds love pecking through mulch to find seeds, insects, and other tasty morsels. Unfortunately, this can leave your garden mulch looking like a disaster zone.
The good news is there are several effective techniques you can use to deter birds and keep them from destroying your mulch beds. In this article, I’ll discuss the top methods for keeping birds away from mulch so you can maintain a pristine garden.
Why Birds Love Mulch
Before getting into solutions it’s helpful to understand exactly why birds are so attracted to mulch in the first place. Mulch provides an ideal environment for birds to forage for food. As organic mulches like bark chips or leaves decompose they attract earthworms, beetles, and other bugs that birds love to eat. Birds also dig through mulch looking for fallen seeds and berries.
Additionally, loose mulch provides good cover for birds. They can easily scratch through it to create nests and hiding spots away from predators. Knowing what draws birds to mulch will help you devise targeted strategies to make your garden less appealing to them.
Physical Barriers
One of the most effective ways to prevent birds from disturbing your mulch is to install physical barriers. Plastic netting or wire mesh fencing can be positioned over top of mulch beds to block access Make sure to anchor the edges down firmly and keep the netting elevated a few inches above the mulch so birds can’t land on it.
You can also use individual wire cages or plastic covers around young seedlings. Hardware cloth secured with garden staples works well for this. These physical barriers make it harder for birds to dig through the mulch and damage plants.
Scare Tactics
In addition to physical deterrents, you can use a variety of scare tactics to frighten birds away from your mulch area. Reflective tape, aluminum pie pans, old CDs, and plastic owls are a few examples of objects you can hang or place around the garden to scare birds Anything shiny, noisy, or resembling a predator will work
You need to move these scare devices frequently so birds don’t become accustomed to them. But used regularly, they can be remarkably effective at deterring birds from landing.
Repellents
Natural chemical repellents offer another line of defense against birds in mulch. Common natural ingredients like garlic, chili pepper, and cinnamon have a strong odor and spicy taste birds dislike. Look for commercial repellent sprays or make your own by soaking garlic cloves or peppers in water to create a spray solution. Reapply repellents after heavy rain.
Remove Food Sources
Eliminating food sources is a critical step in bird-proofing your mulch. Rake up fallen berries, seed heads, and debris under trees and shrubs. This removes the main attraction for birds scraping through your mulch. Also switch to an inorganic mulch like pebbles or rubber in areas where birds are especially problematic. Inorganic mulches don’t harbor insects or seeds appealing to birds.
By taking some preventative measures, you can successfully keep birds away from your mulch and maintain an aesthetically pleasing garden space. Physical barriers, scare tactics, and repellents force birds to look elsewhere for food and shelter. Stop birds now before they develop stubborn mulch-digging habits!
How to Keep Birds Out of Mulch
FAQ
Why do birds dig in my mulch?
How do I keep birds out of my flower garden?
How to stop birds from digging in the garden?
Does mulch attract birds?
The best way to keep birds out of your mulch is to remove the food source. This means getting rid of any insects that are living in the mulch. You can do this by spraying the mulch with a pesticide or by using a natural insect repellent. Mulch is a great way to improve the health of your garden, but it can also attract birds.
How to keep birds from eating mulch?
Place them around the perimeter of your mulch bed. The twigs will deter the birds and stay away from the mulch. You can use one or more of these methods to keep birds from eating your mulch. You can enjoy your garden without worrying about a mess by taking steps to deter them. There are other ways to deter birds from your garden plants and flowers.
How do I keep birds out of my Garden?
To help, we consulted two gardening experts who shared their best tips for keeping birds out of your garden. Putting up a physical barrier, like butterfly netting, is one effective way to keep birds away from your garden.
How do you keep birds away from a fence?
Reflective tape is another option. You can find this tape at most hardware stores. Simply attaching the tape to your fence will help to keep birds away. Finally, you can use twigs. Place them around the perimeter of your mulch bed. The twigs will deter the birds and stay away from the mulch.