The little critters that fly over the sky have been man’s friend over the years. Some people even keep various birds as pets. If you have a greenhouse around, you have to be careful with all the birds.
Apart from damaging your plants, the worst that can happen is these feathered friends dying from chemical poisoning. You don’t want to expose them to pesticides, fungicides, and other chemicals you may have used on your plants. With this, you may be wondering how to keep birds out of greenhouse without harming them. Keep reading for exciting insights.
Do Birds Harm Greenhouse Farm?
Birds are some of the most active animals that ever lived. They know they have to work hard for their survival. Although birds can harm your greenhouse farm, that is never their intention. They only do their natural thing and in the process, damage your plants.
Should they enter your greenhouse, birds will peck plants, rip off your seeds, and pluck flower buds and petals. The answer is yes, birds will harm both your greenhouse and open field plants. However, this is part of what they do daily to survive and fend for their hatchlings.
Why Do You Need To Keep Birds Out Of Greenhouse?
Birds heavily rely on their instincts even in finding food. If they find your greenhouse open, they will enter and devour your plants. What could be worse is several birds invading your greenhouse when you’ve applied chemicals. Some, like DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) will kill these feathered animals almost instantly.
If not, constant consumption of chemical-coated plants will gradually harm their development. Although you may not notice any instant effect, such chemicals may impede the birds’ ability to reproduce. To be safe, find a safe way to keep birds out.
Also, you need to keep these birds at bay because of the massive destruction they cause on plantations. If you’re not careful, you will share your entire yields with the local bird populace. Bluejays, for instance, are notorious for eating berries, while pigeons will unapologetically devour all your cabbages.
Investing in safe methods to keep these birds off completely is cheaper than the damage they will cause. A small host of sparrows will demolish your entire harvest within minutes. Precisely, birds can cause you untold anguish.
How To Keep Birds Out Of Greenhouse?
Although birds play a good role in keeping pests away from your plants, you’ve to repel them to protect your plantation. While at it, remember these feathered friends are an essential part of the ecosystem. As such, you have to think of safe ways to keep them away without harming them. Below are techniques you can employ to keep birds away from your greenhouse.
1. Using Bird Nets
Installing bird netting is one of the most effective ways of keeping birds off your greenhouse. The best thing about the net is its effectiveness and safety. It’s a highly reliable method, especially because it’s purely natural and also resistant to water and extreme heat. This is how you anchor bird nets in your greenhouse:
- Get a net with holes less than a centimeter
- Unroll it and cut it into sections fitting your greenhouse’ sides
- Install anchors like a plastic strapping where you will attach the netting
- Fix nets on both sides to cover all the ventilations
Using a net ring and a C ring tool will prove easier in the mounting process. Also, ensure you confirm the net holes will not allow even the small birds. Such holes only allow insects, which you may need for cross-pollination.
2. Use Repellents
Repellents are not always ideal although you can always find nontoxic options. They may come in the form of gels, sprays, or simply a repellent diffuser. Also, it’s not advisable to use store-bought bird repellent near food crops.
To be on the safer side, you can prepare natural bird repellents at home. Crush dry chili pepper and mix it with water and apple cider vinegar. If it’s sunny, you only need to pour your blend into a clear jar and place it in the sunlight to diffuse naturally. If not, then heat the solution and place it near your greenhouse.
3. Use Deterrents
The terror eye balloon is probably the most widespread bird deterrent known. You can always find it in most stores stocking garden accessories. When you fix them near your greenhouse, they scare birds by producing awkward sounds. Besides, their ‘eyes’ resemble those of a predator so most birds will not come anywhere close.
Scarecrows are also very common bird deterrents. However, you have to be creative when making them because the birds are not foolish either. Your scarecrow should be flexible and move a bit. You may also need to change its outfit occasionally as well as relocate it to keep the birds on guard.
How about using wind chimes to deter birds from accessing your greenhouse? It’s a brilliant idea because it also serves as a décor item. Birds don’t love the loud, sudden noises. Unfortunately, with time they may get used to it, so this cannot be a long-term solution to your problem.
Are These Methods Safe For Birds?
Certainly. All the above methods are purely natural, and therefore safe for all birds. For the commercial bird repellents, always ensure they are nontoxic before purchasing. Anything containing 4-Aminopyridine or written ‘Avitrol’ is highly toxic and will kill birds rather than repel or deter them.
All the other methods are safe. You only need to up your creativity game to avoid monotony unless you opt for the netting. For repellents and deterrents, you may need to come up with additional ideas like hanging CDs. Their reflective nature scares away the birds.
Does Aluminum Foil Keep Birds Away?
Birds find aluminum foil very irritating to their beaks. Also, just like CDs, aluminum foil is shiny and the reflection doesn’t sit well with their eyes. For it to work effectively, you need to cut relatively large foil pieces and hang them outside your greenhouse.
Ensure you place these foils somewhere close to the vents. Even if they know there is an opening, they cannot peck the foil or enjoy looking at it. The results are even better during sunny seasons because of greater reflection.
Can Erecting a Bird Feeder Deviate Their Attention Away From the Greenhouse?
If you attract many birds, you can erect a bird feeder for them. So, will a bird feeder deviate its attention from the greenhouse? The answer is no. This will not necessarily keep your greenhouse safe.
First, you cannot satisfactorily feed all the wild birds at the same time. Again, birds are curious and exploratory. They may feed and then visit the greenhouse to further devour the berries they see in that greenhouse.
If you intend to feed the wild birds, do it out of goodwill but still invest in effective ways to keep them from your greenhouse. Since you will not be targeting specific bird species, you must consider several factors. Among the most important things to consider are the birds’ safety, feeding space, type of feed, and the environment.
FAQs
The whole topic of preventing birds from entering your greenhouse is wide and interesting. We are talking about human beings deterring their best friend from causing unnecessary damage. All this while, you have to ensure the birds remain safe, and your plants blossom. Below are more insights to help you succeed.
What is a natural bird repellent?
Natural bird repellents are plant-based mixtures that ward off the birds. Controlling birds can be very hard because most have good eyesight plus speed since they fly. Since you cannot stay at your greenhouse to scare them away, that’s where these repellents come into play.
Do wind spinners keep birds away from Greenhouse?
Yes, they do. Wind spinners are very effective bird deterrents. When the wind blows, they gain momentum, thus producing some noise. No bird will draw close when your spinners make such sounds. However, you must relocate them at least monthly or the birds will get used to it and discover it’s a harmless effigy.
What smells will keep birds away from the Greenhouse?
Many plants’ smells repel birds yet they are all natural and healthy. Strong scents like vinegar and peppermint will help you keep birds away from your greenhouse. Other smells they hate include garlic, lemon, chili, cayenne pepper, and citronella. All you need is to learn how to prepare decoctions and diffuse them.
Final Words
Maybe you’ve been wondering how to keep birds out of greenhouse. These feathered friends are wonderful accomplices but not in the garden. Although they can help you eliminate annoying pests like slugs, they will extend their service to your plants. Thankfully, keeping them away gets easier in a greenhouse setup.
Since you’ve enclosed the plants, you only need a solution that will come through when you open the windows and door. If your ventilations have large openings where birds can fit, you know what to do. A net will come in handy, or even the other alternatives we have highlighted.
