Stepping outside after seeding a lawn only to find a flock of hungry birds treating the fresh seed as their dinner is a frustrating sight, and one that I am all too familiar with.

I’ve recently aerated and scarified my lawn to prepare it for overseeding, hoping for a lush lawn by spring. But now that all my hard work is complete, the birds have flocked in to spoil it.

So I called on Jonathan Davies, a grass expert at Lawnsmith, to find out what I can do to stop the birds from eating my freshly sown grass seed.

Before trying to scare the birds off, it helps to understand why they do it. Davis explains they are more of a problem at this time of year than most people expect. “As we move deeper into fall and closer to winter, other natural food sources become scarce, and freshly sown grass seed is easy pickings,” he says.

A couple of small birds won’t do much harm, but a few resident pigeons can wipe out a seedbed.

So, are any particular birds more of a problem? Davis says ground-feeding seed eaters, like pigeons, sparrows and some finches, enjoy a good munch. He explains, “A couple of small birds won’t do much harm, but a few resident pigeons can wipe out a seedbed.”

I’ve noticed in my yard that the smaller birds don’t take the lawn seed, but the larger pigeons can’t seem to get enough.

There are numerous ways to protect your grass seed from birds, but Davis recommends one approach above all others.

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