I have about 20 - 30 magpies now coming in and eating our new herb garden. I think they will also start eating the vegies when they are planted out. Is there a way to get rid of them without harming them?
Thanks Andrew
Many here have suggested hanging CDs in trees to keep the birds away from the fruit. Perhaps that would also work for you. Drive two metal fence posts into the ground with a piece of rope or twine between them, and hang the CDs on the rope/twine for the reflective effectiveness.
A woman reportedly found a plastic owl that she put in her garden that was so realistic it kept all birds away,including the ones she wanted to come in to her bird feeders.
The best thing about those two methods is that no critter or plant is injured or in danger.
Glenna
They will need to be replaced fairly often.
We did this - not to scare birds away but to warn my dogs that there was an almost invisible fence around the garden - I didn't want them slamming into it and breaking the fence or hurting themselves when they run and play together.
The shiny part of the CDs wore away (rain? sun?) and they are now just clear, and the CDs themselves are almost invisible. It only took about three months for this to happen.
(The dogs are OK without them now, we made other fencing arrangements since then.)
Pat
Magpies, Crows, and Ravens are the most intelligent birds. Some are quite adept at using tools even. They usually figure deterants out fairly quick, so you should mix things up frequently. I personally would use row covers, helps with insects too.
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