If you didn’t know birds can get aggressive, wait until you meet mockingbirds. Having them around your garden will leave you infuriated.
First, you will find them noisy because of their prolonged singing during the night or when nesting. They mimic other sounds around loudly and in succession.
Worse yet, they are extremely possessive and will go at any length to protect what they feel is rightly theirs. You want to know how to get rid of them in your yard for peace and quality sleep.
We have some ideas on how you can get rid of these stubborn creatures without necessarily taking their life.
Let’s get moving.
Before We Start
There are natural and safe ways to get rid of mockingbirds to save you trouble with the law. What you should be doing away with is the mockingbirds and not your freedom.
To nip the problem in the bud, preparation is vital. You may want to study their behaviors and understand what keeps them around.
More About Mockingbirds
- They are most aggressive during the breeding season, which begins in early March to late August. To avoid being a target, fix or facelift your garden between September and February.
- Mockingbirds love fruits which is their main meal. If you have several fruit trees around your garden, they could be a significant attractant. Dense, low shrubs also provide conducive nesting grounds for them. They are omnivorous and can feed on pests as well.
- They can distinguish between people and pets they perceive to be their enemies. Keep off during the nesting period to avoid being a victim of their free fall charge. Don’t court trouble with them by disturbing their nesting sites.
- Mockingbirds behave aggressively towards some bird species, such as hawks and owls.
- You shouldn’t consider them a substantial threat to your garden’s food crops.
- A male mockingbird searching for a mate will sing all day and night long. This is going to cause you sleepless nights. Males make more noise than female mockingbirds.
- They hardly flock. A mating pair could occupy 2 acres of territory and only shift with seasonal changes.
- They keep off harsh winter areas.
Tools for your Preparation
Some tools for your use to keep the mockingbirds away include:
- Binoculars or telescopes: Useful for spotting the birds’ exact location, considering the thick foliage of the trees the mockingbirds live on. Night vision goggles can also prove handy.
- Water: Foam Projectiles are a very efficient means to scare away these birds.
- Super soaker: Again, a powerful tool you can use for chasing the birds away.
- A cardboard cutout of hawks or Owls: Used to mimic their natural predators and scare the birds away.
- Lights: Having a spotlight around is necessary for your safety when scouting for these birds. You want to avoid hitting obstacles and other barriers in your yard that could cause bodily harm.
- Pruners: Comes handy for pruning overgrown trees in your garden.
- Earplugs: Useful if intending to get some quality sleep amid the crazy noise.
How to Get Rid of Mockingbirds?
The outright and straightforward answer to this puzzle is chasing the birds away. It would be pretty easy if you knew what technique works best for you.
Here is an exhaustive list to help you make an informed decision.
1. The Water Technique
The water technique works best if you have a water source in your garden and, more preferably near the mockingbird’s habitat. Use binoculars to quickly survey the area to ensure the bird’s location.
Binoculars help you avoid obstacles during targeting and when scouting. Once you get the exact location where the mockingbird has perched, lock and press.
Set the water valve to maximum if using a water hose to make it forceful enough for striking the target.
If using the super-soaker, you may want to add a scope to it for a clear view.
2. The Scare Technique
The scare technique is a popular method used by most gardeners to chase away pests and other irritating intruders in their yards.
Do the mockingbirds run away at the very sight of the scarecrows? Well, they do if you are smart enough.
Draw life-like images of an owl or hawk on cardboard. Use someone to draw if you don’t trust your drawing skills.
After drawing, make a cutout of the owl or hawk from the cardboard. Place these cardboard cutouts near the perching spots of mockingbirds to scare them off.
Placing rubber snakes on trees will also serve the same frightening effect.
Most gardeners use this technique together with ultrasonic bird repellents. The noise produced helps to keep the birds away.
3. Ultrasonic Pest Repellents
Ultrasonic pest repellents work best in the outdoor environment. They produce high-frequency sound waves that scare the mockingbirds away.
The challenge with this technique is that it may scare off other beneficial birds in your garden. However, if you feel it’s a good fit, go for it if your budget allows.
You don’t have to worry about electricity or changing batteries since most devices are solar-powered.
Loud noise from other devices
Some gardeners also make use of loud sounds from other materials such as tins and pans.
You can also use devices that mimic audible sounds of predator birds and natural distress cries related to birds.
If you get ambushed by the mockingbird, don’t be quick to react. A human blow could potentially be life-threatening for the bird.
You could yell or make some noises to scare it away.
4. Use Earplugs
If you are a bird lover, and you feel the above methods are a tall order for you, you could decide to keep away from the birds. Ignore them and mind your own business.
On the flip side, the excessive noises may get over you, so you want to use earplugs instead. This is a less aggressive way of preventing the birds from interrupting your privacy and sleep at night.
5. Prune Overgrown Trees and Shrubs in your Garden
Mockingbirds love dense shrubs for nesting purposes. They also love trees and a bushy environment for habitation.
Add these to the fact that they are fruit lovers. Any tree providing a food source such as berries is a sure attractant to your yard.
To keep them off, prune dense foliage from your trees and shrubs. This makes your garden less attractive to the mockingbirds.
If you don’t know how to do the pruning, spare some bucks and hire professional services from a landscaping company to do the job.
If you have fruit-producing trees around, cover them with a net to prevent the birds from accessing the fruits. The netting also helps prevent the birds from perching during their mating season.
6. Record a Mockingbird’s Song
Mockingbirds are naturally territorial. That means they will guard their territories at all costs.
You can trick them by recording their songs and playing them back on them.
This will make them leave in search of a new territory.
7. Use a Magnet
Mockingbirds rely on magnetic fields to get a sense of direction. There is the possibility of using a magnet to direct mockingbirds away from your garden.
Additionally, some gardeners use leaf blowers to blow the birds away from their environment, though the method is not recommended. You could attempt using the technique if it sits well with you.
Conclusion
Mockingbirds can be a real nuisance in your dream garden or backyard. By employing these humane methods of getting rid of them, you can sleep peacefully at night.
