When you think of a garden, you can probably see the birds with their vivid colors and hear them singing. There’s no doubt lots of people design gardens solely because they want to attract the feathered creatures to the area. After all, not only do they look and sound stunning, but they are brilliant at pollinating flowers and removing unwanted pests.
Why You Don't Want To Attract Birds To Your Garden
However, like all things, bringing birds to your garden has pros and cons that you must consider. You may not know the negatives, yet they exist. To learn more about them, please continue reading the information underneath.
They Could Eat The Wrong Pests
There’s no arguing with the effectiveness of birds regarding garden pests. Using this natural method is not only organic, but it’s in line with the ecosystem, so you know there’s no imbalance. Of course, wild animals aren’t known for their restraint! If a bird spots a meal, it will swoop down and pick it up in a flash. When it’s a slug or a snail, you won’t mind, but if it’s a bee or a wasp, you may have reservations. Remember that the latter are incredible at pollinating plants to encourage flowers to bloom and grow nice and healthy.
You Could Attract The Wrong Birds
A robin is a beautiful sight, one that’s worth waking up to in the morning. Still, there’s no way to guarantee this is the type of creature you’ll tempt into your garden. The last thing you want to do is encourage pigeons to land and roost as they’ll soon make themselves at home and never leave. Apart from the incessant cooing, their poop is corrosive and can break down the exterior of a building. The only way to remove a flock of pigeons is to call a pest control company, so it’s smart to think about the consequences before you act.
You Could Attract Bigger Pests
Pigeons are only the start of the drama. In the US, residential homes are plagued by raccoons, intelligent mammals that are very good at adapting. Of course, they only want a meal, and they aren’t particularly dangerous - you can learn more about raccoons at raccooninformation.com - yet it’s better to avoid them altogether if possible. Unfortunately, you can’t if bird feeders are hanging from your garden’s branches as these critters will climb the trees and steal the food. Once they know there’s a steady supply of nuts, the raccoons will hang around and pick up any scraps they can find.
They Might Die
It’s not nice to think about, but it is true. Over six-hundred-million birds are exposed to pesticide poisoning every year according to beyondpesticides.org. Of those that are exposed, up to sixty million can die. You may assume you’re not part of the problem, but you are if you use chemicals in your garden since it only takes a small amount of pesticide to impact a bird. After all, they are tiny. If you spray stuff to help plants or kill pests, it’s worth considering how the pharmaceuticals will impact the birds.
Do you like attracting birds to your garden? Have you had any issues with the types of birds you attracted? Let us know in the comments below.
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