Pigeons are harmless creatures but it can be incredibly disheartening if they begin eating seeds, plants or ripening crops in your garden as they can destroy months of hard work.
Not only can pigeons destroy garden plants but they can also cause noticeable damage to a home as their droppings are highly acidic and deteriorate stonework, metals or even concrete.
In the UK it is illegal to disturb pigeon nests or their eggs but if pigeons are coming onto your property there is one natural deterrent that has been known to scare them away.
Ryan Jenkins, a pest control expert from Sefton Meadows Gardening Centre, has shared hanging up shiny objects can frighten birds and can keep them away from your garden.
He said: “Shiny objects might strike you as something that would attract animals (a rumour started by the humble magpies supposed attraction to shiny objects), but the opposite is true.
“When it is sunny, shiny objects reflect light towards birds which scare them away. Some theories also suggest that birds are scared of their own reflections!
“This might not make the most attractive solution, but it is convenient, especially in allotments and around vegetable and flowerbeds.”
Shiny objects scare pigeons as they create reflections or sudden flashes of light, and sudden movements can signal danger to birds as they can suspect a predator is nearby.
When objects are hanging they can also sway in the wind, which can mimic the way predator birds such as owls move which will also cause pigeons to avoid an area.
All you need to do is hang old CDs or DVDs in your garden but tin cans, tin foil, aluminium pie dishes or any other shiny material will also produce the same desired effect.
Some people also buy shiny ribbons, also known as scare tape, to hang on fences or trees which will also scare pigeons away.
However, make sure not to hang anything made out of glass such as mirrors around your garden as it can risk smashing or even being a fire hazard during hot days.
Ryan said: “Be careful with mirrors on especially sunny days, as concentrated light in a dry garden could pose a fire risk.”
Using shiny objects to keep pigeons away is not only natural and eco-friendly to stop them from harming your property but is incredibly cheap.
However, it should be noted that pigeons can be very clever as while shiny objects can be highly effective at keeping them away they can learn over time that they are harmless.
The best way to stop pigeons from coming into a garden is to switch up deterrents every so often such as using noise devices, scarecrows or even planting white flowers as well as using shiny objects and soon pigeons will begin avoiding an area.
