What Is a Garden without Birds?
2022-08-09
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1Waking up to a dove making cooing sounds or watching a sparrow feeding helps many people connect with nature and reduce tension.
2But fewer people know that birds are also the most cost-effective way of reducing the number of pests in their garden.
3Young birds love to eat insects, including aphids, whiteflies, cabbage worms and cucumber beetles.
4Doug Tallamy is a professor at the University of Delaware professor.
5He wrote the 2007 book Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants.
6He describes how a small group of chickadees, for example, could eat 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars from birth through their first flight.
7That would clear out pests from any garden.
8Jessica Damiano writes about gardening for the Associated Press.
9She said you do not have to be a bird expert to get pest-control effects that will help your garden.
10All you need to do is create a bird-friendly environment.
11Damiano says the answer includes using native plants to feed native insects, which will attract hungry birds.
12They could be different kinds of plants that provide berries, nectar or seeds all year.
13The Audubon Society's Native Plants Database is an excellent source of bird-friendly plant suggestions for your area.
14When food is in short supply in the cold, winter climate, leave flowering perennial plants out for birds to eat.
15As autumn leaves fall to the ground, place them under shrubs and trees to attract insects to feed the birds.
16And as the leaves break down, they will enrich the soil to give spring plants more nutrients.
17Set a bird feeder in the garden. Select one that comes apart for easy cleaning and that is built to keep the seeds dry.
18To avoid spreading diseases that can sicken birds, provide only enough seeds to last a few days, and clean feeders at least two times a month.
19Choose high-quality seeds high in fat and protein, like unsalted peanuts or black-oil sunflower seeds.
20Migrating birds need to store calories to prepare for their end-of-season trips.
21Suet is a nutritious cake made from animal fat and often mealworms, seeds or grains.
22It can be hung in a feeder designed to keep out other wildlife.
23Place the bird feeder in a different place regularly to avoid the buildup of discarded seed shells and bird droppings on the ground.
24Remember to provide the migrating birds with fresh water for bathing in a container.
25It should be cleaned and disinfected every week.
26And avoid using chemical poisons to kill insects.
27They do not necessarily kill pests immediately.
28Insects that eat or touch the insecticide product can be eaten by birds, which can be poisoned as a result.
29I'm Jill Robbins.