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We have a large-ish sedum roof over our kitchen, which is now about 18 months old; but it's getting trashed by birds eating it. Every time it starts to look leafy and reasonably solid cover, pigeons, starlings and sparrows start to check it out and literally just walk back and forth pecking at it, leaving it pretty bare.
I've read they may be after the moisture in the sedum's leaves, so will look into getting a bird bath type thing; but any other advice on how to get them to stay the eff away from the sedum?
rig up netting standing just proud of the plants
I have been told string CDs over the area will keep birds off - the CDs move in the breeze and scatter light around. dunno if it works
I vote for a scarecrow.
Or one of those things the farmers use that sounds like a shotgun every few minutes on a timer. That should do the trick.
Or one of those things the farmers use that sounds like a shotgun every few minutes on a timer.
Just what you need outside yer kitchen window, that! 🤣🤣
Scatter some lead.
5.56mm will be plenty big enough 😉
Pigeons are probably eating new growth, the other two are after bugs.
Pigeons quickly get used to scarers, but netting can be dangerous to the smaller birds. Ugly prevention or ugly roof, sorry
I put a green roof up to help wildlife. I suppose it's up to the wildlife how they use it. We do get crows digging at it but I can't imagine putting up any kind of anti bird measures.
On a practical note, it'll self regulate after a while if you have a mix of plants. If one plant dies back another will spread into the space. You can help it a bit. I sometimes rip up a handful from a healthy area and place in an area not doing so well. Both areas fill in nicely after a little time.
Wildlife friendly roof, attracts wildlife - full report on News At Ten.
I put a green roof up to help wildlife. I suppose it's up to the wildlife how they use it. We do get crows digging at it but I can't imagine putting up any kind of anti bird measures.
On a practical note, it'll self regulate after a while if you have a mix of plants. If one plant dies back another will spread into the space. You can help it a bit. I sometimes rip up a handful from a healthy area and place in an area not doing so well. Both areas fill in nicely after a little time.
Thanks for this - and all the responses so far. It's a fair point that the green roof is attracting wildlife, which isn't unexpected. The issue is the sedum's still not yet established itself very well - it's sparse and looking in pretty poor state, and any time it starts to look more healthy it then gets annihilated by the birds. It doesn't have a thick layer of soil - only about 10mm at most - so other plants tend not to grow, which I think was kinda the aim.
And the birds pecking at the sedum also then pull at the matting that's underneath the soil, yanking it up and destroying more of the greenery.
I'm gonna start with pinwheels spaced around it, in the hopes that'll scare off the birds. I'd love to get a part-time cat up there - that'd keep the birds away - but sadly it's probably not an option. Next step after that will be spraying with something unpleasant, which I'd rather avoid.
It doesn't have a thick layer of soil - only about 10mm at most - so other plants tend not to grow, which I think was kinda the aim.
Yep, that's how it should be. Any more and grass and weeds will take over.
I'd try and stick a few more sedum plants into the gaps. The more variety the better. If we are out walking and see a healthy patch then I'll take a little plug (without destroying what's left) and add that to my roof. It's amazing where you see it when you start looking. Church walls, garage roofs, random rocks. Don't know how many species we have now but it's a lot and it's very resilient now.
What about one of these....
https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/the-big-cheese-hawk-kite-bird-deterrent
Yep, that's how it should be. Any more and grass and weeds will take over.I'd try and stick a few more sedum plants into the gaps. The more variety the better. If we are out walking and see a healthy patch then I'll take a little plug (without destroying what's left) and add that to my roof. It's amazing where you see it when you start looking.
You're spot on. Honestly, the place where the sedum grows best round our house is... the gravel driveway where the pallets of it originally rested for 4 hours before being laid on the roof. Little tiny bits of it obviously dropped off in being carted about, and I seemingly can't kill it! 🤣
Some great pointers there, thank you - and I think the flying bird thing is another thing I'll try too. Cheers!
That’s odd. We’ve had a sedum roof over our kitchen (and outside our bedroom window) for 10 years. At certain times of year various birds - mainly pigeons - stand some time pecking at it but I think they’re actually after the tiny snails that seem to live in it (or other bugs). But it’s never been a an issue that they do it any damage.
unlike the fox that appeared a couple of months back that has scratched up some big areas, left a few shits and sprays the ventuvlarion stem intake so the whole house stinks of fox. The battle continues. Ultrasound repeller and led predator eyes arriving today, plus more repellent spray.
the essential oil approach both failed to deter fox and filled house with smell of garlic
I used netting till it established
Now the birds are not interested anymore