6 Tips to Stop Birds From Eating Grass Seed

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Birds are typically a welcome addition to a landscape – but not if you’re planting grass seed.

Whether it’s fescue, St. Augustine, Kentucky bluegrass or Bermuda, birds love to feast on nutrient-rich grass seed. Unfortunately, sowing your lawn won’t do any good if birds devour the seed.

There are several precautions you can take, however, to stop birds from eating your grass seed.

#1) Plant Deeper in Soil

Planting your grass seed deeper in the soil will lower the risk of it being devoured by birds.

Most birds spend their time scavenging food on the ground. They generally won’t dig very deep into the soil. By placing your grass seed at least a half-inch deep, birds won’t be able to easily access it.

#2) Cover With Straw or Pine Needles

Another way to stop birds from eating your grass seed is to cover it with straw or pine needles.

After sowing your lawn with new grass seed, cover it with a thin but complete layer of straw or pine needles. The presence of the straw or pine needles will conceal your grass seed so that birds are less likely to spot it.

#3) Install a Net

While it’s a bit more laborious than using straw or pine needles, installing a net over your newly planted grass seed can protect it from birds.

Most gardening stores and plant nurseries sell netting material that’s designed specifically for this purpose. Consisting of a plastic mesh material, you can install the netting over your newly sowed lawn to protect it from birds.

#4) Mix With Fertilizer

Birds are less likely to eat your grass seed if you mix it with fertilizer beforehand.

Fertilizer often contains chemicals that are safe – or even beneficial – for plants but toxic to birds and other animals. Birds can sense fertilizer, and if it’s mixed with grass seed, they’ll tend to avoid it.

#5) Scare Them Away

You can always try to scare birds away from your lawn.

Hanging a wind chime from a nearby tree branch, for example, may scare away birds. The metal-on-metal sound produced by the wind chimes will deter birds so that they are less likely to eat your grass seed.

#6) Install a Bird Feeder

Something as simple as installing a bird feeder may stop birds from eating your grass seed.

If you discover birds gathering in a particular area of your lawn, install a bird feeder in that area. With a readily available source of food, the birds should stay away from your grass seed.

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