How to Keep Birds from Eating Grass Seed

Are you planning to plan grass seeds in your lawn? Before you do, you need to learn how to keep birds from eating grass seed.

Typically, when you start planting grass seeds in your lawn, birds have the tendency of picking them away. 

The garden, on the other hand, will decimate even before the seeds get a chance to grow.

Some people tend just to add seedings of up to 50 percent, as this can help make up for the lost seeds that have been taken away by the birds.

But adding more seeds to your lawn can be expensive since you need to spend more on seeds.

Fortunately, there are some solutions on how you can keep these birds from eating your grass seeds.

These solutions will help your grass seeds to grow healthily the way you want them to be.

Tips on How to Keep Birds from Eating Grass Seed

Laying Down Mulch

For people who don’t know, mulch is not only helpful in conserving soil moisture but as well as block the weeds from growing.

They are also good in preventing the birds from eating any grass seeds that are scattered in your lawn.

When choosing a mulch, make sure that you are using a certified mulch, which can be purchased at landscaping stores.

You can do this by scattering a thin layer of mulch over your lawn where you have planted the grass seeds. You need to make sure that you know how much mulch you will need.

The reason behind this is because that is only the area that you need to cover the seeds from those birds.

Now, once the seeds have been germinated, you can then remove the straw.

Protecting Seeds With Burlap Sheets

Burlap sheets allow sunlight, heat, and the water to reach the surface of the oil. It is a perfect alternative to mulch in lawns that have lots of wind.

The reason behind this is because the wind can quickly blow away the mulch, which will leave your grass seeds from the birds.

For people who have backyards that are prone to wind gusts, it would be best to lay a burlap sheet over the lawn where you have scattered the grass seeds.

Once done, you can anchor the burlap’s edges down with wire pins. Now after the green seeds have germinated, you remove the sheet.

Placing Mylar Metallic Tape To Scare Away Birds

You can scare the birds away using a mylar metallic tape since this kind of cover can move through the wind, sparkles, and flashes under the sunlight. It also creates a loud noise every time it flutters in the wind.

The good thing about this is that it won’t only scare away the birds, but as well as the chickens, geese, and the ducks.

You can do this by placing and tying half inch width of Mylar metallic tape in between each of the pole, which will help intersect over the area where you have planted the seeds.

Always remember to avoid tying the tape tightly for them to be able to move and twist once the wind blows freely.

Using Feeders As Distractions

Another solution that you can do is to create a distraction for the birds. What you can do here is to hang a feeder on the different side of your lawn.

You need to make sure that the feeder is away from your grass seeds. The feeder will act as a distraction as they will draw away from your lawn.

This will also give time for your grass seeds to start germinating even before the birds notice them.

Using Decoys to Keep Birds from Eating Grass Seed

The best decoys that you can have are hawks and owls because these are known predatory birds. These decoys will surely drive the birds who are planning to attack your grass seeds away. 

You can place the decoys around your lawn, such as the edges or even in the middle to frighten these birds away.

If you want maximum results, it would be best to move the decoys every single day from one place to another, so the birds won’t get used to their presence.

Also read: 10 Ways to Protecting Garden From Birds

Here’s a video on how you can effectively protect your grass seeds from birds.

Wrapping Up How to Keep Birds from Eating Grass Seed

Now that you know how to keep birds from eating grass seed from your lawn, it is now time for you to wait for the seeds to grow into beautiful grasses around your lawn.

Typically, it will take a month for them to grow if the grass is frequently watered and if you used a good compost in it. It is best to plant grass seeds during fall or spring seasons.

Always remember to use the solutions mentioned above for you to ensure that your grass seeds will stay protected while they are in the process of germinating.