Many homeowners probably give very little thought to their garden fence. It simply stands as a means of defining the boundaries of their outdoor space or perhaps enhancing the overall appearance of their garden.
Beyond improving the look of your garden, it turns out that painting your fence white can keep a troublesome pest at bay – pigeons. With flocks of pigeons causing havoc, stealing seeds, and leaving furniture splattered with mess, many gardeners consider these birds a genuine nuisance. Rather than resorting to spikes or powerful repellents, avian expert and founder of Birdzy, Isabelle Manseau, suggested that gardeners should use colour to their advantage.
She told Home and Gardens: “Pigeons are deterred by certain colours they perceive as threatening or unsettling, such as reflective or metallic shades and intense hues.”
Gardening specialists at Sefton Meadows Garden Centre also concur that the colour white acts as a natural deterrent to pigeons. They said: “White is a ‘danger’ colour to birds, much in the same way that red is a warning colour to humans.”
By introducing more of the colour white into your garden, the space will become progressively less attractive to gathering pigeons.
Isabelle said, “Painting garden furniture or fence posts in shades of white can help deter pigeons while still keeping the aesthetic cohesive.
“A pop of colour can really liven up the yard too, especially if you’re putting in outdoor furniture for a small space.” Alternatively, if your existing garden furniture has seen better days and is beyond saving, it may be worth considering an investment in brand-new, white furniture.
Fence painters at Paint With Pinnacle also recommend opting for the colour white to deter pigeons. They said: “One shade that most pigeons avoid is white. A bright or dull white signals danger and alarm to birds and causes them to avoid these spaces.”
It is worth painting your fence before the spring season draws to a close, as pigeons tend to be considerably more active throughout the summer months.
Alongside painting fences white, Sefton Meadows Garden Centre also recommends introducing white flowers into your garden.
They said: “Many birds use the white plumage in their feathers to show each other that there is danger ahead, so planting a variety of white flowers around areas you want to keep protected might be enough to deter birds from landing.”
There are numerous ways to incorporate white flowers into your outdoor space, such as blending them into planters, hanging baskets, or simply positioning potted plants at various spots throughout your garden.
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