Peacocks are fascinating creatures, especially the males with their magnificent display of tail feathers. They have long been used on farms and farms as early warning systems due to their piercing cries. The birds flock in wild situations and are known to cause considerable damage to the neighborhoods they colonize. Peacock control is essential for the gardener who wants to protect tender plants, their cars, siding, screen doors and more. You won’t need a gun or traps to get rid of peacocks; You just need to be smarter than the birds.
Controlling peacocks in the garden
Almost everyone can agree that peacocks are magnificent birds. However, they tend to become nuisance animals in domestic situations. Tales abound of birds digging up garden beds and making dust holes in them, tearing screen doors with their talons, and their own image when seen on expensive shiny cars.
Often, simply going after them with a good blast of the garden hose will eliminate the peacocks. However, if your landscape is hospitable and has plenty of good things to eat, plant-eating peacocks can become a way of life for you without intervention.
How to deter a peacock
Males can be very aggressive, especially during nesting season. They attack other males or even the image of another peacock and damage cars, windows, skylights and any reflective surface. Prevention is the best medicine.
- Do not feed the peacocks and hit them when you can with water.
- You can protect garden beds with chain link fencing and string brightly colored streamers over any planting space. Birds can fly over a fence, but streamers can scare them away if they dare to try.
- If you don’t already have one, get a dog. The dogs will chase the birds, but they may not be able to catch and hurt them.
- Use netting to control peacocks in the garden and prevent them from eating all your produce.
Persistence and noise are the best methods to deter a peacock that wants to live in your garden.
Serious and non-lethal peacock control
Ok, you’ve had enough and not only do you want deterrence, you want to get rid of peacocks for good. If you don’t want to use traps, air guns, or wrist rockets to eliminate the creatures, try some modern warfare.
- There is a sprinkler system that has a motion sensor and will spray the birds when it detects them. It is activated by your movements and simply connects to a garden hose.
- You can also use red pepper flakes around fruits and vegetables in the garden. It’s not very sporty, but the animals peck and scratch at the dirt and will find the flakes a little too hot to taste. It will keep the peacocks from eating plants, at least.
- Placing a stake in a garden bed is helpful to prevent entry. Simply insert posts that will prevent them from falling into the ground. They will not try to enter for fear of being staked.
If all else fails, try your local animal control and see if they will trap and take the birds to a safe, non-domestic location to live their noisy lives where they won’t bother you or your plants.