Hanging flower pots are expensive, so there’s nothing like discovering that birds have taken up residency in them. Before you despair, we’ll show you how to keep birds out of hanging flower plants without harming these nesting creatures in the process.
How To Keep Birds Out of Hanging Flower Pots
Here are some effective ways to stop birds nesting or landing on your hanging flower pots:
Harness the Power of Citrus
Birds aren’t fans of citrus smells. So, try purchasing citrus-scented essential oil, soaking some cotton balls in it, and placing them on top of the soil in your hanging baskets.
Doing so is one of the most non-invasive and aesthetically pleasing ways to keep birds out of your hanging flower pots.
That said, please don’t do this if your birds have already used your hanging basket to lay eggs in their nest—it might even be illegal. In that case, it’s best to wait for the birds to fly the coop. In the meantime, you’ll know how to keep them away next season.
Use Mesh
It may sound unattractive, but light wire mesh is one of the most effective ways to keep birds out of hanging flower pots since it creates a physical barrier.
The good news is that using fine mesh will make it difficult to tell it’s there unless you’re up close to it. There’s no need to wrap your basket in the mesh. Instead, play with its position to balance what looks good while keeping the birds away.
Often, all you’ll need to do is lay some of the mesh on top of the plants; it works particularly well for flowers hanging down from pots.
Make Your Baskets Spikey
Birds won’t want to access your hanging pots if you make it challenging for them to land. So, pushing some bamboo or plastic spikes into the soil of your baskets can be an excellent deterrent.
You’ll want to ensure the spikes have pointed tops so that the birds can’t land on them. But don’t worry—the tops won’t be so sharp that they’ll injure birds that try to scope out your hanging baskets.
Provide More Attractive Nesting Areas
It may seem hard to believe as birds eye your new hanging flower pots, but your flowers might not be their first choice. Instead, birds often enjoy the more protective nature of a wooden bird’s nest.
Therefore, place some bird nests around your yard to try luring birds away from your hanging baskets. As a bonus, you’ll get to enjoy having birds around without them destroying your flowers.
Set Up a Sacre Tactic
We’re not about to tell you to use inhumane methods to keep birds out of your hanging flower pots. But it can be helpful and non-traumatizing to place artificial animals that birds are afraid of near your hanging baskets.
Fake owls and snakes are some of the best bird predators. Of course, you could also borrow a vocal dog to scare the birds in your hanging basket. With any luck, they’ll remember the experience and stay clear of your flowers.
Put Up Some Decorations
Birds don’t like other seemingly flying objects. So, placing streamers around your flower baskets, hanging some CDs (the shiny, reflective nature scares them), or any other moving object in the air can be effective.
For these reasons, you might find that you have luck getting rid of and keeping birds away from your hanging baskets after hosting an outdoor birthday party.
The Benefits Beyond Your Flowers
Most hanging flower pot owners enjoy birds as much as flowers—they just don’t want these winged creatures nesting in them.
So, by implementing the strategies discussed here, you’ll reduce the chances of harming the eggs and young birds that would otherwise be in your hanging flower pots when you water them.