Different reasons to repel magpies
Magpie is an undesirable. Indeed, its behavior can make you want to get rid of it.
- It is a bird that loves the orchard, as well as the vegetable garden. Magpies will therefore come and peck your young plants or your seedlings. They prefer ripe strawberries and tomatoes. The juice of these fruits allows them to quench their thirst.
- On cherry trees, they can devastate a crop in no time, but they can also attack your currants, raspberries, plums, apple trees, etc.
- Additionally, magpies have a reputation for being predatory, as they prey on smaller birds. To reach the eggs they feed on, they can destroy nests.
- Finally, they can peck the seals of your doors and windows and thus deteriorate them.
So here are all the reasons why it is not recommended to let magpies settle in your garden and that it is better to keep them away.
Methods to keep magpies away
It is possible to get rid of magpies quite simply by opting for one or more of the solutions offered below depending on what you have available.
- The elements that move and that reflect the rays of the sun are a good solution to scare away magpies. You can therefore, for example, hang the magnetic tapes of old cassettes. To do this, simply disassemble and twist the ribbon, then fix it securely.
- In the same vein, if you do not have old tapes, it is possible to resort to old CD. Just hang them in a tree, on your fence or any other support. The air will make them rotate and the sun’s rays will be reflected in them, thus repelling the magpies.
- Another option is to use inflatable balloons. It is better to give preference to those of yellow color. It is then necessary to suspend them so that they move to the rhythm of the wind. With a black marker, it is possible to add large black eyes on it. However, this solution has the disadvantage of not being very ecological, because the lifespan of these balloons is quite short and they risk flying away in nature.
- The noise will allow them to be removed from time to time. You can therefore use a radio that you leave on. It must then be installed near the place you want to protect.
Finally, it is possible to proceed to the realization ofa repellent. Here’s how to do it:
- pour water into a container;
- incorporate somegarlic previously crushed in water;
- finally, add some Cayenne pepper in powder ;
- then transfer the mixture to a sprayer and spray it on the plants to protect.
Whatever solution you choose, it will be necessary to change it on a regular basis. Indeed, at the beginning, the magpie will indeed be disturbed, but then, it will get used to it and resume its routine as before. To maintain the effectiveness of the scarers, whether audible or visual, you can also move them or use them alternately.
In some departments, it is possible to kill the magpies, but for this, make sure to inquire beforehand.
Do not feed the magpies
To avoid attracting magpies, it is necessary to be vigilant about the food. Indeed, the more the magpie has access to it, the less chance you will have of getting rid of it.
- So you can reduce the amount of food available to them, or even, if possible, eliminate it entirely.
- If you have feeders, place them so that they are not accessible only to small birds. So avoid installing them too high in trees, since this is where the magpies will be most comfortable.
- Move feeders regularly that you install for small birds.
- You can find in shops feeders equipped with an anti-starling grid that allow small birds to eat quietly without the magpies being able to access their food.
- It is also possible to iinstall water points. This way, they will suffer less from thirst and, as a result, will be less tempted to prey on your tomatoes or fruit to quench their thirst.
When the magpie sees that the food is missing or too complicated to access, it is very likely that it will go in search of another place that suits it better.
Bird repellents
In the trade you can also buy various bird repellents. Here are some examples of what you can find:
- of sprays or granules which are made from mineral extracts or natural essences, such as lavandin, which will displease them;
- of kites to be installed high on poles to keep magpies away. They are usually shaped like a raptor to scare them away;
- of spool scarers : it is a polypropylene strip presented in a coil and that you must stretch between two posts. The air passing over the belt causes the emission of vibrations of which the magpie is afraid;
- of ultrasound devices against birds. This solution is also quite effective. The device emits sounds that are only audible to birds and scare them away.
It should be noted that the use of these devices can, in some cases, also keep smaller birds away. We must therefore think carefully about where to place them to continue to enjoy the song of other birds.