If your backyard is feeling a bit quiet lately, there might be an obvious reason that you’re missing. Birds are picky neighbors, and they don’t move into just any backyard. Without realizing it, you might be doing something that’s scaring them off or, worse, harming them: using pesticides. If you’d like to see more feathery friends come by your yard, you’ll need to stop that habit. No matter how many bird feeders and bird baths you set up you set up to attract birds to your backyard, using pesticides is definitely harming your efforts. And it’s not just common sense; this phenomenon has been studied by scientists at the University of Sussex. Their findings were clear: If you use pesticides, expect to see fewer birds.
Sure, pesticides are an easy fix for a perfect lawn. They deter insects and pests, and they help remove weeds that make your lawn look messy and unkept. But killing insects is also a surefire way to make your yard less interesting to birds. Think about it — birds need insects as a form of sustenance. And not only are pesticides starving them, but they might also be hurting them. When birds eat seeds or insects from a treated yard, they’re exposed to those dangerous chemicals.
Think of it that way: Insects and birds are part of the same ecosystem, and you can’t really have one without the other. For a happy and thriving yard, you need to not only attract a variety of birds but also attract pollinators, insects, and even mice. The beautiful thing about this is that when the ecosystem is balanced, birds act as natural pesticides by eating insects. So reducing pesticide use isn’t as scary as it sounds. In fact, it might be a win-win.
Read more: 9 Birds You Do Not Want To See In Your Yard
How pesticides harm birds and what to do instead
bird perched on a bird bath – Diephosi/Getty Images
As birds hang out, eating seeds or insects in your yard, they end up ingesting pesticides, too. Over time, the chemicals build up in their bodies and can cause them to have reproductive issues or even kill them. So pesticides not only push birds away from your yard but can also cause a drop in population.
When we talk about lawn pesticides, this can mean a few things: insecticides, herbicides, and even molluscicides. One new class of insecticide used to reduce lawn grubs in the ground is neonicotinoids. These are thousands of times stronger than DDT, a famously banned pesticide. Neonicotinoids are terrible for wildlife, including birds and bees. Herbicides and weed killers are also dangerous for birds, especially if they contain glyphosate. The same is true for the molluscicide metaldehyde, which is used to combat slug infestations.
Instead of exposing birds to that kind of poison, consider some natural or organic pest control solutions. There are tons of things that can target pests and weeds without harming birds. For insects, consider insecticidal soap or neem oil. For herbicides, look for organic products that are made of natural ingredients (like citric acid or acetic acid), plants, or minerals. You can also say goodbye to slugs with many organic methods, like traps.
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