How to Protect Peas from Birds

Co-authored by Elmer Bensinger and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: July 17, 2022 References

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]
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Research source} 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.

1

Berry basket

This is a great option if you don't want to buy netting or gardening gear. You probably have some plastic berry baskets lying around. Just turn them upside-down and set them over your pea seedlings. This prevents the birds from being able to reach the plant while it's putting on its early growth.^{[2]
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- You can also use berry clamshells by opening them and placing them over the pea plant so they form a tent shape.

2

Soda bottle or plastic cup

Cut the bottom from a bottle and push it into the soil around a pea plant. If you don't have berry baskets, wash out an empty soda bottle or plastic drink cup. Then, cut 2 inches (5.1 cm) from the bottom to make a flat opening and push the flat base into the soil around your pea plant. Birds won't be able to get down to the peas as the plant starts to grow.^{[3]
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- Unscrew the cap from the soda bottle so it doesn't trap moisture.
- Plan on using 1 bottle for each pea plant you're starting.

3

Draped netting

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]
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- 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.

4

Framed netting

Protect mature pea plants with frames covered by netting. Although you can drape netting over full-grown pea plants, you might find that it's easier to monitor the plants and harvest if you build a simple wire or plastic frame over them. Then, attach medium-weight netting over the frame so its not directly touching the pea plants.^{[5]
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- You can buy metal or plastic gardening hoops or frames from most garden centers or online.

5

Chicken wire

Bend chicken wire to make a little tunnel over mature plants. Once your pea starts have put on growth, give them space to grow, but protect them from the birds. Push chicken wire into the soil on 1 side of the plants. Then, fold it over the plants and give them room to grow before you push the wire into the soil on their opposite side.^{[6]
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- Keep the wire high enough above the plants that the birds can't sit on the wire and peck down through it.

6

Scarecrow

There's a reason you see scarecrows in gardens—they work! Fill a long-sleeved shirt and pants with straw or whatever stuffing you have available. Then, secure it to a wooden frame and stick your scarecrow in the garden next to the peas.^{[7]
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- If you want, get creative with styling it—you can stick the legs in boots, pop on a bucket for a head, and place a hat on top, for instance.

7

Fake predators

Set out fake owls and snakes around the peas. Don't have room for a scarecrow? No worries! You can place fake owls, scary masks, or owl silhouettes along a fence near your peas. Since these are bird predators, most birds will avoid your space if they see them.^{[8]
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- You can pick up fake snakes at dollar stores if you don't want to spend a lot of money.

8

Shiny objects

Hang CDs, metallic streamers, or aluminum pie plates in your garden. As the sun catches on them, they'll reflect light, which frightens the birds away. You can stick gardening rods into your garden bed near the peas and hang the shiny items from them or hang them from a nearby tree.^{[9]
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- It's even better if the objects knock against something like a fence to make a noise that will startle the birds.

9

Wind chimes

Hang wind chimes or something noisy that will startle away the birds. Try to hang them as close to the peas as you can so the birds will avoid your plants. If you don't have wind chimes, you could hang anything that will make noise as they hit against each other.^{[10]
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- For example, hang pieces of bamboo, keys, or empty cans.

10

Bird feeders

Set out bird feeders so the birds leave your garden alone. The birds aren't trying to destroy your peas—they're just hungry! Place a few bird feeders in your yard to give them an alternative to eat. Just put them out of your garden so the birds don't come into the gardening space to eat.^{[11]
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- Don't forget to check your bird feeders every week and refill them when they're looking low.

11

Nest discouragement

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]
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- Besides this, if they are destroying your house you should seal up the house.^{[13]
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- 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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