5 Ways to Keep Pigeons Out of Your Vegetable Garden 

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5 Ways to Keep Pigeons Out of Your Vegetable Garden 

If you have a backyard vegetable garden, you probably know that stopping pigeons from eating your seeds, plants, fruit, and grains is a full-time job. 

While pigeons are generally harmless to humans, they can wreak havoc on your prized crops. And once they have decided that your yard is the perfect nesting ground because there’s a steady supply of food, it’s almost impossible to keep them under control. 

Read on to find out the most effective strategies for keeping these pesky birds away – from DIY scarecrows to humane pigeon removal options and everything in between. 

1. Put Up a Scarecrow 

The oldest tried-and-true method for keeping pest birds away from your garden is installing a good, old-fashioned scarecrow. 

Try building a scarecrow in the shape of a hawk or other natural predator, and make it as brightly-colored and mobile as possible. You should also attach items that can move when the scarecrow catches the wind – add bells, wind chimes, or anything else that can make a loud noise. 

Another well-known tip for scarecrows is placement. Move the scarecrow to a different location every so often to keep nuisance birds on their toes. 

2. Install Reflective Surfaces 

Shiny and reflective surfaces can discourage pigeons and other nuisance birds from landing in your vegetable garden. String old CDs up from the trees and place them strategically on the ground. 

Reflective objects can temporarily impede a pigeon’s eyesight when the light catches them – dissuading them from landing in your garden or nesting in the surrounding trees. 

3. Scare Them with Sound 

Loud sounds are incredibly effective at keeping pest birds away. However, you might need a considerable outlay for this bird-scaring method. 

For maximum effect, invest in a few audible bird repellants that make sounds of other birds’ distress cries or emulate the shrieks of predatory birds. 

Another option is to purchase an ultrasonic bird repellant – these emit a high-pitched noise that we can’t hear but effectively frightens the targeted birds. 

4. Enclose Bird Feeders 

It’s no secret that pigeons are attracted to the bird feeders you put out for other birds – after all, that’s what bird feeders are designed to do. However, pigeons are notorious for being bullies and scaring away the smaller, less destructive birds you actually want in your garden. 

To keep larger birds away from the food in your bird feeders, enclose them with netting or hardware cloth. Covering bird feeders and only leaving holes big enough for small birds’ beaks make the food inaccessible to pigeons and other large bully birds. 

5. Call a Professional 

You should never resort to poison to rectify your pigeon problem; rather, take measures to frighten them away. Poison contaminates other areas and animals that feed on the pigeons (snakes, predatory birds, dogs, and cats). It’s also prohibited in some states. 

If scaring the pigeons away with the above tactics doesn’t work, contact a professional pest control specialist to advise you on the best pigeon-removal strategy.