Birds love nothing more than a free meal, so will most likely be on the lookout if you happen to be sowing a new lawn or overseeding an existing one. But there are ways you can keep birds away from your grass seed!

Cover up your seed after sowing

In the first few days after sowing new seeds, you can cover them with a tarpaulin or net covering before they start to grow. Once they begin to grow, your seedlings will no longer be at risk of being gobbled up by pesky beaks! Lift the tarpaulin to check on your seeds progress, and once you can see that they are growing it is safe to remove it.

Deter and distract birds

You can also distract birds through sight and sound if you don't have a covering handy. Reflective items create extra light that wards birds off, whilst sound deterrents such as windchimes can also be off-putting. You can use old CD's (don't use your favourites!) tied to bamboo canes as a low cost solution, or repurpose or purchase windchimes to keep birds away from your grass seed!

Feed the birds

Of course, a more friendly way to keep birds away from your seed is to provide them with the very thing they're after... food! Bird seed is relatively inexpensive and can be bought from your local supermarket. Seeds like sunflower and niger are rich in oily fats that will keep them satisfied for longer so they don't come looking for dessert on your lawn! Avoid wheat-filled mixes that can cause digestive issues.

Can't I just use 'bird-resistant' grass seed?

Bird resistant grass seed would certainly be the answer here, but unfortunately it doesn't exist! Be wary of products that claim this as they are typically artificially coated to cause faster growth. Whilst in some instances this may speed up growth and lessen the overall damage from birds, there are no guarantees that your seed won't be hoovered up by little beaks on the very first day of sowing!

Tips to keep birds away from grass seed

We keep our seed free from coatings, as we believe natural is best and will help you have a healthier lawn for longer. Of course, if you have real concerns and want to use a faster growing seed, you should consider our Fast Grow Family Lawn, New Build Dream Lawn and Tough Stuff Lush Lawn mixes. If these mixes don't suit your needs, you can always use a pre-seed feed to help speed up growth.