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Hanging planters not only enhance your property but provide attractive nesting sites for birds. Bird-proofing hanging baskets will prevent overly protective feathered parents from dive-bombing you. It also allays concerns about damaging eggs or babies when you water or maintain your containers. Try a few of the suggestions in this article for Aves-friendly gardening. Most gardeners welcome birds and even create havens for their flying friends. However, in some cases, the little guys decide to nest in hanging baskets and other containers. It is easy to see why they find such sites attractive, with their leafy protection from predators and weather. You have a couple of choices if the birds become a nuisance or you are worried about damaging the nests.
It’s common to find birds nesting in hanging plants on porches, patios, and balconies. The sight of baby birds may seem cute at first, but their messy droppings can quickly become an annoyance While you may be tempted to remove an active nest, it’s illegal under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act The best approach is preventing birds from nesting in hanging plants in the first place.
Why Birds Nest in Hanging Plants
Birds are opportunistic nesters that build nests in protected spots with available materials. Hanging plants offer an appealing nesting site with built-in camouflage and shelter. Common culprits include house finches, mourning doves, robins, and wrens. They frequently reuse nests or rebuild in the same site. Without deterrents, you’re likely to battle nesting birds annually.
Dangers of Nest Removal
Relocating or destroying active nests kills hatchlings and separates parents from their young. It’s also illegal with penalties up to $15000 and six months jail time per nest. The law allows removing old nests after young fledge. Identify fledglings by their downy feathers, begging calls, and clumsy flying as parents continue to feed them.
How to Keep Birds Out of Hanging Plants
Here are 10 tips to make hanging plants inhospitable nesting sites:
Provide Alternative Nesting Sites
- Hang birdhouses and nesting boxes around your yard to give birds better options. Place them away from high traffic areas.
Use Protective Barriers
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Cover soil with chicken wire or netting, Skewers or sticks also deter nest building,
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Hang reflective ribbons or old CDs around plants to scare birds away.
Use Predator Decoys
- Place fake owls, hawks, or snakes nearby to frighten birds. Move decoys occasionally so they don’t become ignored.
Use Repellents
- Hang bags of human hair, which birds avoid.
- Place mothballs on top of the soil, checking that plants are not sensitive to fumes.
- Soak cotton balls in citrus oil or pepper sauce as an unpleasant odor. Reapply after watering.
- Sprinkle cayenne pepper or chili powder lightly on plants.
- Spray hanging plants with bird repellent spray made with essential oils. Avoid plant leaves to prevent damage.
Use Noisemakers
- Wind chimes or bells create sounds that deter birds.
- Ultrasonic devices emit high-frequency sounds only birds hear. Place them close to plants.
Alter Nesting Sites
- Remove old nests and materials birds may reuse.
- Add obstacles like wire mesh or bamboo spikes to make planting areas uncomfortable.
Scare with Devices
- Shiny pinwheels or mylar tape blow in the wind to frighten birds.
- Battery-operated sonic bird repellers sporadically emit distress calls.
Keep Cats Around
- Let your cat patrol areas near hanging plants to scare birds away. Supervise to prevent bird kills.
Accept a Seasonal Loss
If prevention fails and birds nest in a hanging plant, wait it out. Once the young fledge, clean out the nest and deter future use.
With multiple deterrents in place, you can enjoy bird-free plants all season. Monitor hanging plants daily and act at the first sign of nests. Persistence is key to reclaim your space. For severe issues, removing problematic plants for a season may be needed. With an eviction notice in place, your feathered visitors will soon look elsewhere to raise their young.
Summary
Birds commonly nest in hanging patio plants, creating messy droppings. Relocating active nests is illegal and harmful. The solution is preventing nesting before it starts. Provide nest boxes, alter planting areas, use repellents and deterrents, and scare birds away. If a nest appears, wait it out, remove when vacant, and prevent rebuilding. Using multiple tactics significantly reduces the chances birds will set up housekeeping in your hanging plants again.
Bird Proofing Hanging Baskets
The first line of defense is prevention. Here are some steps you can take to prevent birds from taking up residence in your potted plants:
- Provide plenty of other nesting sites in your garden. Erect birdhouses and nesting boxes.
- At planting, lay light wire mesh over the basket or container, so birds cant get in to build nests.
- Use fake predators to discourage them from your planting zone. These might include rubber snakes or a fake owl.
- Set streamers along the edges of your home or where you hang baskets. This will prevent birds from nesting in hanging baskets by scaring them to a more appropriate zone.
How to Keep Bird Nests Out of Hanging Baskets – Hack
FAQ
How to stop birds from nesting in hanging baskets?
To prevent birds from nesting in hanging baskets, you can use physical barriers like wire mesh, skewers, or reflective materials, or deter them with visual or auditory deterrents like fake predators or wind chimes.
What to do when a bird makes a nest in your hanging plant?
The Problem With Birds in Hanging Baskets
I check my basket daily for nesting debris, and if I find a nest, I remove it and take down the basket for a day or two to discourage the birds. Sometimes this works quickly; other times it takes several tries.
What kind of birds nest in hanging baskets?
Several bird species commonly nest in hanging baskets, including house finches, Carolina wrens, and chipping sparrows. These birds are attracted to the shelter and security that hanging baskets, especially those with dense foliage like ferns, can provide.
Can I move a hanging plant with a bird nest in it?
It is generally not recommended to move a hanging plant with an active bird nest in it, as it can cause the parents to abandon the nest.
Are birds nesting in hanging plants?
Even with some prevention, you can find yourself in the possession of birds nesting in hanging plants. Contrary to some early research, you can move a nest and the parents will still take care of it, provided you don’t move it where they cannot find it.
Are hanging basket planters bad for birds?
It isn’t hard to water plants or keep them healthy when you’re able to use hanging planters. That being said, there are problems that can arise with your hanging basket planters. For example, you might wind up having birds start messing with them. You see, a hanging basket is going to be a very appealing nesting spot for local birds.
How do you keep birds from nesting in a hanging basket?
Remove nesting material as it appears. If you’re too late and there’s a nest in your hanging basket, you’ll have to wait the birds out. Despite the mess, you may enjoy watching the family grow. And you can still care for your plant. Just water the basket slowly and from an angle that won’t soak the nest.
Do hanging flower pots attract birds?
Hanging flower pots are a beautiful addition to any garden or outdoor space. However, they can also attract unwanted guests – birds! If you are tired of birds nesting in your hanging baskets, eating your plants, or leaving droppings all over your patio or deck, then you’re in luck.
How do you prevent birds from building nests in hanging plants?
Preventing birds from building nests in hanging plants involves a mix of physical barriers and careful plant selection. Here’s how to go about it. Use physical barriers to deter birds from nesting in your hanging plants. Netting: Cover plants with lightweight bird netting to block access while allowing light and air.
How do you make a bird nest in a garden?
1. Create other nesting sites by hanging up birdhouses or nesting boxes elsewhere in the garden. 2. Lay chicken wire or a similar material over the soil in the hanging basket. 3. Insert short skewers in the soil of the basket; not so sharp that they might harm a bird, but to create an inhospitable building site. 4.