Birds That Nest in Hanging Flower Baskets

Scare Tactics

• One way to prevent birds from nesting in hanging baskets is to scare them away with bright flashes of light. Place a shiny child's pinwheel in the hanging basket to frighten off the birds or hang strips of reflective foil from the hanging basket to startle birds away.

Barrier Tactics

• Hang the hanging basket with swathes of bird netting. Bird netting allows the plants to get water and sunlight, but the fine mesh prevents birds from landing and nesting.

Warning

• While pigeons, European starlings and house sparrows may be removed if you find a nest in your hanging garden, native birds may need a federal permit to be removed. Doves, cardinals, robins and finches are all protected nesting birds, so check with your forestry office before removing them from your hanging basket.