10 Affordable Items You Already Have That Can Deter Any Bird From Entering The Yard

As much as we love seeing native birds nest and forage for food in our backyards, sometimes these creatures aren't always beneficial to our homes and gardens. Especially if you are growing fruits, vegetables, or flowers in your garden, you may want birds to avoid your plants as they can eat your produce, steal freshly planted seeds, and remove seedlings from the ground. They can be a catalyst for disease in other bird populations and leave pesky droppings around your home. Some can even cause damage to your home itself through nesting and pecking, which can cause gutter or roof damage. Thankfully, you don't need to go out and buy any bird-specific repellent or yard installations to keep these creatures from damaging your property. There are a few basic and unexpected home items that will keep birds out of your garden and home, including baking soda, aluminum foil, vinegar, and even your old CD collection.

Birds can be deterred by specific strong smells, like peppermint and garlic, as well as flashy visuals, which is where your CD collection may just come in handy. Mirrored reflections are known to deter birds as they cannot understand that they are seeing themselves; instead, they simply see another bird. Figuring out exactly what will keep the birds from your garden may take a bit of trial and error, as it will depend on your local bird population's habits. Though perhaps not as common to have around the house, barriers like motion-sensor water sprinklers, audio deterrents of bird calls, and bright, reflective balloons can also be used to deter birds from your property. 

You may already have what it takes to rid your garden of pesky birds: an old CD collection. If you don't have the heart to donate or trash them, you can actually use these shiny items in your yard. Thanks to their reflective properties, CDs are an excellent and easy bird deterrent to hang in your garden. Note that some homeowners have noticed that a big issue with this tactic is ensuring the CDs stay in place and aren't blown away by the wind. If you live in a windy area, you may want to keep this in mind.

If you don't have any old CDs lying around, you can always grab an essential item from your kitchen: aluminum foil. Like CDs, foil can keep birds away from your garden as the reflection tends to scare them off. You can cut the foil into strips and hang them from a tree, bush, or string them around your home. Birds also dislike the sound of it. You can even lay the strips of foil down on the ground around your plants, and the birds will most likely avoid the area as they dislike the texture of the foil. 

If you already have a wind chime in your backyard, this item may already be working to deter birds from your yard. If not, you may want to relocate it closer to the plants and produce you want to protect. Other birds don't mind the sounds of chimes at all, so it may take some trial and error to see what works best for your property. Note that some birds can get acclimated to wind chimes, so you either need to move the chimes to different areas of your garden every few days or try a more long-term solution.

You can use vinegar to get rid of multiple pests, including birds that are eating seeds and produce in your garden. Birds tend to dislike the strong smell of vinegar, so there are a few ways you can use this solution to deter them. Often, these creatures will completely avoid any areas containing this strong smell, so you can either spray a diluted vinegar solution around the edge of your garden or leave soaked cotton balls around your plants. The scent will wear off after a few days, so you will need to reapply every so often. 

While you may not have a few spare spinning pinwheels lying around your home, you can easily pick up a cheap pack from your local party or craft store for just a few dollars. Dollar Tree sells them for $1.75 a piece. This is perfect for anyone who wants to deter birds while still boosting the aesthetic and charm of their garden. (We know aluminum foil strips aren't the most attractive decor.) Shiny, reflective, and often a little bit noisy, spinning pinwheels placed in and around your garden can help keep pesky birds away from your plants. 

Keep birds away from your garden by using one of the most basic kitchen essentials: baking soda. Sprinkle this product around the perimeter of your garden to keep these pests from snacking or destroying your flowers and produce. You can even sprinkle baking soda on your windowsills, fences, railings, and patio surfaces to deter birds from perching on these areas, as some gardeners say they dislike the feeling under their feet. This is especially useful if you have problems with birds leaving droppings in these home areas. Note that this is a product you will need to reapply as it fades. 

Similar to the aluminum foil trick, birds won't touch your garden if you use the help of one baking essential: aluminum pie pans. Whether you have some lying around your house from the holidays or you grab a pack from the grocery store, you can hang or display these items around your garden to deter the birds, which dislike the shiny reflection. If you hang a few close together, the sounds of them knocking into each other can also ward them off.

Both shiny and noisy, aluminum cans can be a cheap and easy option for keeping birds away from your garden. Not only will the birds dislike the reflective properties, but if you hang the cans close together, you can create a DIY wind chime that will deter the pests from coming any closer. Some gardeners have even built a spinning windmill out of aluminum cans. You can hang these objects near bird nests or popular perching spots in your garden or around your plants. Make sure the cans you use are empty, light, and easy to hang.

Like the strong smell of vinegar, the pungent scent of garlic can also be an easy and non-toxic bird deterrent for your home and garden. To use around your garden, you can place garlic around the perimeter of your plants. While it is an affordable hack, it may require a little extra care, as you will need to replace the garlic every few days as it gets eaten or washed away. You can also create your own bird seed with garlic as a secret ingredient, which has been shown to ward off common garden pest birds like starlings.

Another strong-smelling ingredient that can aid you in your journey to ridding your garden of pesky birds is peppermint oil. Similar to the vinegar and garlic tricks, adding peppermint oil to your garden can help keep birds away, as they dislike the strong scent. You can create your own DIY spray using a mix of peppermint essential oil, water, and dish soap, which you can add to the perimeter of your yard, or douse cotton balls in the oil. Note that this solution will need to be replaced every few days.