How To Keep Bird From Eating Grass Seed Using 10 tricks

Planning to give your lawn a beautiful green grass look but have no idea how to keep bird from eating grass seed?

Worry no more since I’ve compiled a list of tricks you can use to keep the birds away.

My neighbor had faced the same problem a couple of times, and she never thought that the birds were the culprits.

All she thought is that the seeds didn’t germinate until she shared her experience with me, and that’s when she realized that the birds ate the seed after sowing.

Birds love seeds, and once they have a spot with seeds, they will never leave unless you keep them away.

Birds eat seeds fast, giving them no chance to germinate into a seedling.

Once other birds see one of them feeding on the lawn, they join and eat together.

This makes sowing seed a fruitless exercise, but knowing how to keep the birds away before germination will do you good.

Check my previous article on how to stop animals from digging holes in yard.

Let’s get started;

Methods on How to Keep Bird from Eating Grass Seed

1. Use Mulch

Did you know that apart from maintaining soil moisture, mulch can also be used to protect seeds while germinating?

Mulch keeps hungry birds away from sown seeds.

Mulch is easily to get for instance you can use wood chips from chipper, tree leaves among others

It provides optimum seed germination conditions for grass seeds.

During cold weather, mulch maintains the soil temperature, which aids in seed growth.

Use a certified straw much since they are weed-free.

You can also scatter a thin layer of hay on your grass seeds to ensure almost ¾ of the soil is covered.

Once the seeds have germinated, get rid of the mulch carefully to avoid damaging the seedlings.

2. Use Fake Predators

Using fake predators like owls and snakes prevent birds from eating grass seeds.

It is an excellent option since it is long-lasting.

They are commonly known as scarecrows, and birds cannot stay around once they spot something that looks like a predator.

Ensure you keep the scarecrow at the nearest point possible.

The advantage of this method is that you don’t have to cover the seeds.

Scarecrows are affordable, and no maintenance is needed once you set it up.

However, certain birds may get used to the scarecrows once they notice that they are not alive.

Keep changing the predator’s position from time to time to give it a real-world life.

However, it’s a short-term solution so that you can use for the duration.

3. Use a decoy feeder

You can keep birds from eating grass seeds by luring them in an easily accessible feed area.

Birds struggle before they find seeds on the ground, so hanging a feeder will keep them away from your seeds.

They get attracted to feeders and also love birdbaths.

Keep the feeder away from the area you are protecting so that there is no possibility of them noticing the grass seeds.

Ensure you refill the feeders daily so that they have something to eat.

If you don’t refill, the birds may start looking for food elsewhere, including the area you’ve sown the grass seeds.

Once the seeds are grown, you can remove the decoy feeder.

4. Use a noise deterrent

Birds like staying in a quiet environment, so making noise will keep them away from your yard.

There several types of noise deterrents you can use for keeping the birds away from your sown seeds.

Do not worry about the sounds because you don’t need any specific one to use.

The best part of these deterrents is that people cannot hear them since they are ultrasonic.

Their noise scares birds away, meaning your freshly sown seeds will be safe.

Cleanrth bird repeller technology is an excellent noise deterrent to use.

You can also use aluminum cans or tied tins attached to posts since their banging sounds caused by the wind scares away the hungry birds.

5. Using burlap sheets

The Use of Burlap sheets is another way of keeping birds from eating grass seeds.

The sheets allow air and sunlight into the soil, meaning germination will still take place.

It’s the best method of keeping birds away if the area receives strong winds.

Mulch and straw are sometimes blown by the wind leaving the sown seeds uncovered.

Lay the burlap sheets gently on top of the seeds, then use wire U- pins to hold them down.

Once the seeds have germinated, you can remove the sheets to allow the seedling to grow taller.

6. Cover the seeds with straw

The straw gives the seeds a natural cover so that you don’t struggle much covering the seeds.

Using straw as mulch for the sown seeds is a great idea. Ensure it is a light and thin layer so that light and water will easily reach the seeds to allow germination.

You don’t have to cover all the soil; leave some portions to give a natural cover.

Once you notice that the seeds have al germinated, carefully take out the straw to allow the sprouts to grow.

7. Reflective scare tape

Using reflective scare tape is another method of keeping bird from eating grass seed in your yard.

Once the birds see the hanging reflective tapes, they will not come near that place.

Mylar tapes reflect and flashlight while moving, scaring the hungry bird away.

The tapes scare away birds such as geese, blackbirds, pigeons, among others.

Make sure you’ve fixed the tapes well son that it stays in position without falling.

You can hang the tapes on the walls, posts, or trees nearby the newly sown seeds.

Ensure you don’t tie the tapes too tightly so that they will be able to move freely to the flashlight and make some noise.

8. Sow Bird Repellent around the Grass Seeds

Bird repellent grass seeds are also available in the market and stores.

These seeds have a foul-tasting substance that discourages the birds from eating your grass seeds.

They will not want to come back and eat more of the seeds, which keeps them away.

9. Sow Extra Seeds

Sowing extra seeds in your lawn or garden help compensate for the seeds that the birds eat.

It is a good idea since, in some cases, even after you protect the seeds, they may end up being consumed or blown away.

On the other hand, some seeds may not be able to germinate and rot before growing.

Planting extra seeds will cover up for the rotten, blown, or eaten seeds, and at the end of the day, you will make it to the germination stage.

However, this does not stop them, and they may end up eating most of the seeds if the birds come in large numbers.

10. Use Lawn Netting

Lawn netting can also protect your newly sown grass seeds from birds.

The bright side of this method is that it allows direct sunlight and air into the soil surface.

Ensure the whole area is fully covered and fit it tightly by pinning the net at the edges.

You can raise the net and use short posts to hold the net so that the birds don’t eat the seeds through the holes.

Ensure their no space left for the bird to penetrate the seedbed.

Conclusion On How To Keep Bird From Eating Grass Seed

It’s birds nature to love seeds, so it is up to you to choose the method to keep them away.

Before germination, the best method is to cover the seeds then use decoy methods once the seeds have germinated.

This is because the new seedlings are delicate, so scaring the birds will ensure they don’t land on them while looking for seeds.

Once you have sown the seeds, you can combine more than one method for maximum protection.