If you’ve a stack of old ones lurking in a cupboard, they could be put to good use outdoors this month.
Many households will have a stack of old CD’s lurking in an overflowing cupboard from the days before streaming was a thing. If they’re sat there gathering dust, you could actually be using them in the garden for a good reason.
Gardeners have been urged to hang CD’s outside this month as a way of protecting their outdoor spaces. And it’s not to create a pretty, shiny display, they can in fact deter pigeons and other birds from feeding on your fruit and vegetables.
DVD’s, which are also pretty much a thing of the past since the invention of Netflix and Prime Video, will also work just as well, reports the Express.
Birds can be a lovely addition to the garden in the summer months but some will feed on your fruit and veg leaving your well-tended crops worse for wear.
That’s where the shiny discs come in. Birds, including pigeons, are frightened of them.
Lining your CD’s along the side of any raised beds or areas where you’ve planted things like strawberries and raspberries will help to scare them off, say experts.
While magpies are said to be attracted to shiny objects, in fact they will not go near an area with CD’s hanging. The reflecting light and their movement in the wind will be enough to keep predator birds away from your crops.
Gardening page Food For Trees & Africa said: “Did you know that by hanging old CD’s around your food garden, you’ll startle birds with the reflecting light and keep them away from your vegetables and herbs. It’s a trick we’ve put into action at the Food & Trees for Africa food garden.
“Start by hanging the discs loosely so that the slightest breeze makes them spin and catch the sun’s rays. Every now and then, change their location around your beds to prevent the birds from getting accustomed to them.”
The CD’s will instantly kick start birds’ flight response and they will rush to get away from them.
It’s important to change the location of the discs occasionally however to prevent the birds from becoming too used to the scattering light.
Then you can grow strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and other crops without fear of winged invaders, and redirect birds towards safer areas like lawns where they can feed on slugs and worms instead.
If you don’t happen to have any CD’s or DVD’s, or indeed they are something you still listen to or watch, you can buy packs of rods or discs which will serve as a deterrent.
Amazon sell a pack of 8 reflective bird deterrent rods for £5.99 or 6 piece reflective discs for £11.39.
But if you have a bag of CD’s or DVD’s sat there, it’s a cheap and easy way to protect your fruit and veg this summer.
