How To Keep Birds From Eating Grass Seed (9 Ways To Do It)

Birds love to eat grass seed. If you’re planting it in your yard, you’ll need to take the proper precautions to deter birds so that your grass a chance to grow.

To keep birds away from eating grass seed, cover the seed with a material such as straw, burlap, or netting, or use a coated seed that birds dislike the taste of. If this doesn’t work, try planting extra seed or using a rake to push the seed below the soil.

Today we’ll be going through the various methods. While you do not need to use them all, you may find that using a combination of one or two is the most effective.

When you’re ready to lay grass seed, the first step to keeping the area bird free is to remove any other regular sources of food. At least one week before, take away all the bird feeders that are currently in your yard. This will help get them out of the habit of visiting you for food.

If you would like to keep supplying snacks for the birds you love, however, try simply moving any feeders. Hang the bird feeder on the opposite side of the landscape away from newly planted grass seed. This will draw them away from the area you’re working on and hold their attention so the seed can germinate.

Most birds are skittish. A little noise can help keep them away from your grass seed, especially when used in conjunction with other deterrents. Some of the most effective noisemakers are synthetic sound machines. They create high-frequency, ultrasonic sounds to scare the birds away.

When using a noisemaker, keep in mind that some birds may get used to the tactic. To keep them away, it helps to change up the type of noise you’re using. Synthetic noisemakers often come with multiple sounds — making it easy to swap sounds.

If you’re looking for a more low-tech option, tie tin pie pans to posts and spread them around your yard. The pans will clang together when blown by the wind and smack against the post. As a bonus, the tins will also shine when they catch the sun, which can also deter birds.

When noise alone is not enough to keep problem birds from eating your grass seed, try adding a visual deterrent. These deterrents come in many shapes and sizes.

For example, bird tape flashes in the sunlight and hums in the wind, which typically makes birds nervous. To use this often-inexpensive solution, tie the ends of the tape to stakes. String it across your lawn at intervals of 1 to 2 feet.

Another effective — and decorative — option is garden balls. They are a natural repellent because birds find them confusing. They often see the balls as eyes and will stay out of your yard to avoid them.

There are also several items that you may have around the house that can work just as well. For example, children’s windmills or brightly colored flags work just like the flashing bird tape. Like with the bird tape, place the items into the soil spaced 1 to 2 feet apart.

There are several smells that birds find offensive, including garlic, cayenne pepper, and peppermint oil. Each is organic in nature and used correctly, they can help repel birds.

You can make your own smelly concoction at home. Wild Bird World recommends mixing together ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ cup water, 7 drops of lemon oil, and 7 drops of peppermint oil. Next, soak cotton balls in the mixture. Finally, place them around the lawn — or your house — where you are trying to keep birds away.

To gain access to the seeds on the ground, a bird-eating seed must exert considerable effort. As a result, you can entice them to a simple feeding spot where they won’t have to travel through much to reach their food.

This can be accomplished by placing a prominent bird feeder near the location where you have just placed the seeds. However, it must be far away from the place you want to defend by enticing them.

Those birds will ignore your grass seeds in favor of the feeder’s seeds, which are a more convenient source of food. A bird feeder, on the other hand, will attract more birds to your garden.

As a result, you must keep a safe distance between the area you want to keep secure from birds and the area that will be covered by the bird feeder.

If you want to strengthen deterrence, this is another effective option. The hanging swirls can be used not only as bird deterrents but they can also be used to add a decorative element to your yard. They’re rather attractive, particularly when the wind blows through them. And the best part is that you can hang them anywhere you want.

As a result, they are quite simple to operate. If you’re searching for a decorative object that can also serve as a bird deterrent, the Hanging Spiral Bird Deterrent is a perfect option. When it moves with the wind, it reflects light, scaring the birds who are eating grass seed, and they will not return.

Birds can be a major obstacle when you’re trying to grow new grass. Before you start laying the seed, be sure you have a plan of what bird deterrent will work best for you and your yard.

You may find the most effective method is to combine different methods. For example, you can cover the seed with straw and use a specially coated seed that birds dislike the taste of. Or you may choose to purchase synthetic sound machines that emit high-frequency, ultrasonic sounds that birds are scared of while also laying extra seed so there is more there if birds do try to eat some.

No matter the method you use, remember they’ll have to last until the seeds have a chance to germinate. This process takes 5 to 30 days for grass seed to germinate. If you live a in cooler climate, this process may take even longer.

Related Questions

Does straw prevent birds from eating grass seed?

Covering your grass in straw is one of the most common ways to keep birds from eating recently planted grass seed. Simply cover about 75% of the seed with straw. Once the seed has germinated carefully remove the straw with a rake or your hand.

Do birds eat coated grass seed?

Coated grass seed has a taste that birds do not like, which helps to keep them from eating it out of your yard. This seed can be purchased at your local home improvement stores.

Are birds afraid of shiny objects?

Birds will not land in areas where there are shiny or reflective objects such as mylar tape, garden balls, or aluminum. These items can make for effective and easy do-it-yourself bird deterrents.

What smells deter birds?

There are several scents that birds seem to hate and that will keep them out of an area. These scents include essential oils, citronella, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Many of them you may already have around your house. There are also several repellent sprays available for purchase that use odor to deter birds.