Kitchen Garden Forum

I have created a new 4 bed growing area at bottom of garden, above are power & phone cables that pigeons & collard doves like to perch on.

Any suggestion on keeping them off raised beds apart from using netting?

Does flapping tape keep them away?

I use old cd's tied to a bit of string on top of a cane, seems to work

You could use small stakes / canes poked in the beds amongst what you are growing as then they can't land or fly away, but of course they are cheeky & clever enough to just land on the ground & jump on the edges of the beds & reach in to peck things. The other thing I have seen on the site is tall curved canes with bird of prey models hanging from them so they move in any breeze. I don't know if they work or not as I don't get any problems from them along my row, plus the farmer behind comes down on & off to shoot them. He told me he prepped & ate them or sold them to the odd posh restaurant in the Forest.

Thank you both for your comments.

Windbreak net round the bed can work because they like a free take off path.

They really are a d****d nuisance as little deters them when there are fresh young shoots to peck at. If you can get a metal silhouette of a falcon or sparrowhawk, and stick it nearby, that might help.

I found eating them keeps the numbers down a bit........................

I did wonder if a bird of prey dummy would work, the area is 20ft square with 6ft & 4ft fence, neighbors garage & greenhouse as borders so may work, worth a try.

Going to net the beds as well but as it is the back garden trying to make it look smart.