Will Hanging CDs in the Backyard Keep Away Pigeons?

When you're talking about using repellents or deterrents to keep birds away, such as using light reflective tape or old CDs, we recommend one very important thing … Have a Plan B.

Using old CDs to get rid of pigeons is a good idea in theory. To start with, those CDs are going to move in the breeze and that's pretty much what a scarecrow was designed for — an unnatural item that moves in the wind, scaring pigeons and other birds away. As well as moving around, the holographic surface of the CD also reflects sunlight, directing it around the back yard. Birds don't really like bright, direct beams of light, so when that beam heads in that direction, it might just be enough to send them scattering.

You could also create something quite visually pleasing with old CDs and other holographic items, getting the kids involved and giving them a weekend crafts task. If you were going to throw away those old CDs, DVDs and games anyway, you'd now be upcycling them, doing your bit to bit a little more environmentally friendly. That idea only works if you make sure you are ‘decorating' your backyard responsibly, though, making sure that tape, CDs, and other bits of plastic don't end up breaking free from where you have attached them, becoming a litter or health problem to local wildlife.

And now for the disadvantages of using CDs and holographic items to keep away pigeons in the backyard ...

We've already mentioned the potential environmental problems with using household items, especially plastic, to repel or deter birds and other pest animals, but there are a multitude of other issues. If it's an overcast day, for example, the CDs and holographic materials might not reflect the light quite as brightly or as effectively as you might have hoped. It doesn't guarantee that the pigeons or birds will be eliminated from your back yard at all, too. It simply dispels the birds for a moment, and as soon as the light beams have gone or the items no longer move, the birds will come right back. Even if they were dispelled for that brief period of time, it's likely that they will just have headed to another part of the property — the roof instead of a fence or windowsill, perhaps?

Using deterrents and repellents can be effective at getting rid of birds short-term, but for a long-term option it's not all that viable. You aren't dealing with the real problems — the feces the birds are leaving behind, or the nesting material they're raising young pigeons squabs in. You're not physically preventing those birds from landing on sills and ledges, and you're not removing the potential and already existing roosting spots.

Using CDs might make your backyard look nice, but it's probably not the most effective pigeon-removal solution.



Also read our other bird tip: Will a pest control company remove a pigeon