Pigeons are a common sight in gardens across the UK, where they seek out places to roost and feed, but they can also wreak havoc on plants – one expert has shared the plant they ‘hate’
Pigeons can be a nuisance for gardeners (Image: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) via Getty Images)
Pigeons gather in areas that provide them with shelter and food, which accounts for their attraction to back gardens – but they quickly become a real nuisance as large numbers enjoy flocking together. When they arrive en masse, your driveway and vehicle become covered in pigeon droppings.
Moreover, whilst their soft cooing might initially seem pleasant, you’ve likely noticed that a large flock can generate quite a commotion, with their wing-beating producing a tremendous noise when they become startled and flee. Even more irritating, gardening enthusiasts may have found these winged nuisances have caused destruction to particular plants.
Although they’re not your conventional garden pest, they’re entirely capable of devastating your plot, stripping it bare of delicate seedlings and mature fruit. It comes as one woman ‘saved £9,000’ by using Chat GPT to renovate her garden.
Thankfully, there’s one specific plant that pigeons appear to “hate” which gardeners can use as their secret weapon against these troublesome birds, according to pest control expert Zack DeAngelis from Pest Pointers.
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Zack maintained that garlic plants are something pigeons “absolutely hate” because of their strong scent and taste.
He said: “Since garlic has such a strong aroma and taste, it is deemed unbearable by a bird, and they will stay far away from it”. Scattering garlic bulbs around your garden, especially in areas favoured by pigeons such as near trees or their preferred flowers, will “keep them away from those plants and, away from your space altogether”.
Similarly, pigeons “absolutely hate” onion plants too, due to the vegetable’s strong odour that they will “surely stay away from”.
Zack suggested: “If you have a vegetable garden or vegetables that keep getting eaten by the birds, adding onion plants into your outdoor space will not only give you a great food source but will keep pigeons far, far away”.
Despite its fresh and zesty scent, citronella is another plant that pigeons dislike. It can mask other smells that attract these pests while also repelling them.
Citronella is derived from lemongrass plants and is often available as an oil, but all types are effective deterrents.
For use with plants, arrange lemongrass as a defensive border around your garden. This creates a natural barrier that also fills your outdoor space with a delightful aroma.
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