Why Are There So Many Pigeons in My Garden?
If you are an avid gardener, you may have noticed that pigeons love coming to your garden in flocks. Intuitively, you must have asked yourself, why are there so many pigeons in my garden? Pigeons gather around your garden because they have located a reliable source of food inside your garden and have easy access to it.
If you want to protect your plants from being harmed by pigeons, you have to take the necessary precautions to deter pigeons from your garden.
In this article, I will explain why pigeons love flocking in your garden and how to reliably keep them away.
Read more about pigeon habits:
Why Do Pigeons Come to My Garden?
Pigeons are pet creatures that do not cause much trouble. However, if they constantly come to your garden, they can cause damage to the plants and shrubs that you are trying to grow.
If you are wondering why pigeons come to your garden, here are a few reasons.
They Have Found a Stable Food Source in Your Garden
Pigeons are not very picky with their food. They will munch on most junk that they can find in your garden.
If you are growing plants in your garden, then pigeons will come to your garden to ravage the seeds from the plants you are growing.
And if you are a bird admirer and have a bird feeder in your garden, pigeons will definitely infest your garden.
Sometimes when you give food to the birds that come to your garden on a daily basis, you will find a lot of pigeons among them too.
They Have Easy Access to Your Garden
One of the reasons why pigeons may come to your garden more often is because they have easier access to your garden compared to the ones in your vicinity.
In highly urbanized areas, it is difficult for pigeons to find a place that has more greenery and plants compared to high-raised buildings.
Therefore, if your garden is not well guarded, pigeons will flock to your green and lush garden to take refuge from the buzzing city life.
Usually, most gardens are well guarded, with protective nets and scarecrows installed. So, if your garden is relatively easier to get in, pigeons will remember your garden and come to visit often.
Your Garden Is a Good Place for Pigeons to Rendezvous Before Migration
Pigeons are social creatures who move around in flocks, especially when they migrate to warmer areas during winter.
Usually, pigeons will flock around a safe environment to meet before flying off to their new destination. They will wait for everyone in their group before going to a faraway land.
If your garden is a large area that is relatively safe and comfortable for pigeons to meet, you will see that pigeons will gather around your garden before winter starts to prepare for migration.
We have covered an in-depth article on “Pigeon Habits“; if interested, you can check this article here.
How to Keep Pigeons off My Garden
The presence of a flock of pigeons in your garden may prove to be a nuisance if you want to keep your garden clean and tidy. If you are a person who wants to get rid of pigeons from your garden, these pigeon deterrent tips will definitely help.
1. Spray Them With Water
If pigeons are not regularly infesting your garden, and you suddenly come across them one day, the easiest way to scare them away is to spray them with water.
Some pigeons will fly away as soon as you approach them. However, domesticated pigeons who are used to living in urban areas will not be scared so easily.
You can turn on your hose and spray water on the pigeons if they do not leave instantly. Pigeons are scared of water because when their feathers get wet, they have a hard time flying and moving.
2. Install a Scarecrow in Your Garden
Pigeons can be easily kept away from your garden if you install a pigeon scare or a scarecrow. You can easily buy one from the market or build a makeshift scarecrow.
Pigeons will usually not disrupt the peace of your garden if you have a scary-looking dummy owl or dummy person standing with their eyes wide open in the middle of your garden.
If you want to install a makeshift scarecrow, you can build one using simple equipment. All you need is a number of strong wooden sticks that you should tie in the shape of a kite.
Then you can adorn the skeleton with straws and old clothes to make it look like a person.
3. Put a Reflective Object on Your Garden
Pigeons have a hard time coordinating their vision and their movement. When light reflects on their eyes, they get blinded momentarily.
Therefore, if you have a reflective object in your garden, for instance, a mirror or an aluminum-covered surface, pigeons will have a hard time landing in your garden.
If pigeons are blinded every time they try to enter your garden, they will be deterred from flocking into your garden. However, you need to place the reflective mirror in a good position to optimize the blinding of pigeons.
Pigeons are smart creatures that can find alternate ways to enter your garden.
Hence, putting multiple mirrors in different places is the best way to keep pigeons away from your garden. Using reflective CDs in multiple positions is a good method.
4. Put a Net Around Your Garden
If you are growing nuts or fruits in your garden and want to completely deter pigeons from coming to your garden, it is best to put a protective net around your garden.
Pigeons love to forage for food in your garden, and if they find traces of sunflower seeds, nuts, fruits, or even a family of worms, they will search for their treats in your garden.
Putting up a protective layer of netting will completely stop any kind of birds from entering your garden.
Final Words
I hope you got your answer to the question, why are there so many pigeons in my garden? Pigeons can prove to be a nuisance if a large flock disturbs the peace of your garden on a daily basis.
Even though pigeons are not harmful, they may cause damage to some of the plants you are trying to grow.
It is not too difficult to keep pigeons away from your garden, and by taking the necessary steps, you can easily protect your precious plants against pigeons.
Still not convinced that you have enough knowledge to keep the pesky pigeons away from your garden? For further details, visit our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Do not forget to share this article if you enjoyed reading it.
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