Using Birds As Natural Pest Control

One method you may not have taken into consideration for natural pest control is birds. Birds can help keep pests under control in your garden, and the more you have the better. They have a wonderful appetite for problem insects and can prevent them from dining on all of your favorite plants. A simple bird bath and a bird feeder are the only invitations you need to attract more birds to your yard.

A bird family that has moved into your yard can eat over 150 pounds of insects over a years time which include insect eggs, caterpillars, and pesky aphids. Birds will not eat all pests from your yard, but their purpose is to keep the insect population in check, not eliminate them. This protects your plants while allowing nature to run its normal cycle. Insects do provide to yard health as long as the population is in balance. Using pesticides for insect control is the worst possible treatment for your garden. The insects that feed the birds become contaminated and the entire cycle is disrupted. Pesticides only eliminate the current insect population leaving the eggs present for future infestation. Birds offer natural pest control by eating both insects and eggs. This purpose helps more with insect control than the temporary application of pesticides.

Some birds are naturally attracted to fruit trees and other kinds of crop plants. The benefits of having more birds in your garden far outweigh the inconveniences. A simple net thrown over certain plants or trees can help deter the birds from eating them. Certain fruit bearing trees and plants can be added to the garden to attract the birds. Growing oak, hackberry, or berberis provide food for the birds which helps deter them from dining on the fruit trees planted for human consumption. Simply look for plants and trees which birds are fond of eating.