Few things are as frustrating as getting your garden started, only to find birds eating your hard work! To give your pea plants the best chance to mature, there are lots of things you can do to protect them. Protect them in the early stages, when they're most vulnerable to birds.[1] Remember, you don't want to totally get rid of birds in your garden since they do eat pests. You just need to try a few tricks to keep them away from your peas.

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Draped netting

  1. Cover your peas with medium-weight netting so the birds can't get to them. Lay medium-weight white spun fabric, garden fleece, or netting right on top of your pea plants. Then, place rocks, bricks, or soil on the edges of the fabric to prevent it from blowing off. The birds won't be able to eat the peas and air can still circulate around your plants.[4]
    • The fabric or netting also keeps your plants a little warm, which can help them put on growth.
    • You can leave the netting on your peas until the plants are about 3 inches (7.6 cm) high. Then, remove them so the plants don't start growing into the net.
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Nest discouragement

  1. Remove nesting materials so birds aren't drawn to your garden. If you have brush or pruning piles near your pea plants, birds might be attracted to the garden since they can nest and eat! Get rid of unwanted brush piles or any other materials like irrigation pipes or boxes that birds could use to roost in.[12]
    • Besides this, if they are destroying your house you should seal up the house.[13]
    • You can use a quarter-inch mesh screen to cover the bird blocks.
    • If woodpeckers are creating a problem take the help of a professional to deal with it.[14]
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About This Article

Elmer Bensinger
Co-authored by:
Pest Control Specialist
This article was co-authored by Elmer Bensinger and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Elmer Bensinger is a Pest Control Specialist with Eden Advanced Pest Technologies in Spokane, Washington. With over 20 years of experience, Elmer specializes in integrated pest management and products such as insecticides and rodenticides. He studied business at South Puget Sound Community College. This article has been viewed 8,429 times.
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Co-authors: 9
Updated: July 17, 2022
Views: 8,429
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