A BACKYARD garden can provide a feast of herbs and veggies — both for you and some unwelcome snackers.
But one gardening fan has a clever trick she uses to keep birds away from her plants, and it’s a fun project for the whole family.
In her viral video, Anja (@anjainthegarden) showed her followers how her DIY craft helps to deter birds from snacking on her fresh fruit.
She explained that she makes “adorable strawberries to trick the birds.”
Anja pointed out that springtime brings both strawberries and hungry birds to her flowerbeds.
She decided to get ahead of the winged pests by creating a less-than-appetizing snack.
For her DIY trick, she used waterproof paint and a handful of stones from her garden.
“A way you can help protect your future berries from birds is by placing painted rocks and the birds will peck at them,” she told her audience.
Anja explained that this move will teach birds that your berries aren’t edible.
As a result, your real harvest will be protected as the birds will no longer bother by the time it comes.
Anja described the hack as “a super fun craft to do, especially with my kid.”
Green-thumbed experts at Zone 3 Vegetable Gardening broke down the DIY technique.
“Strawberry rocks work well to deter birds from eating your succulent strawberries when put out three weeks before your strawberries start to turn red,” they wrote.
“The idea is that the birds see the bright red rocks and check them out by pecking at them.
“Soon they learn that these attractive rocks are not food and leave them alone.”
The gardening pros pointed out that when your strawberries eventually grow in, the birds won’t bother checking them out.
They recommended using a shellac glaze for the best weather-proof results.
Tips for keeping pests from your garden
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- Plant companion plants such as peppermint to repel rats.
- Place Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, Amazon, over your flowerbeds.
- Fill open-top containers with beer and place in soil to repel slugs.
- Spray plants with Neem Oil, $9, Target, to repel ants, flies, and spiders.
- Dust your flowerbeds with Diatomaceous Earth, $8.26, Amazon.
- Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap, 10 drops peppermint oil, and 4 cups water and spray on flowerbeds.
- Place eggshells around your plants to protect from slugs and snails.
Anja also pointed out that by taking away one food source, you’re encouraging birds to feed on the slugs in your garden instead.
TikTok users shared their thoughts on the simple trick in the comments section.
“And at the same time, it is decorative, nice,” wrote one impressed viewer.
“Never realized we can trick the birds, nice,” said another follower.
“That’s also a brilliant idea for labeling produce,” commented a third person.
