Backyard Birding Tips: Control Pests by Inviting Insect Eating Birds to Play in Your Backyard

An Overview of Insect Eating Birds

Starlings, Red-winged BlackBirds, and Woodpeckers all have one thing in common. They all eat pests that you may not want in your backyard !  Pest control is something most folks feel they could use a little help with, thankfully, that help is available for a fairly small price from nature itself.  Inviting insect eating birds to your yard can dramatically reduce the amount of pests you need to deal with, and it can be amusing besides !

One of the easiest ways to attract these natural exterminators to your yard is simply by putting in some water.  Water, especially if it makes dripping noises, will attract a wide variety of birds, including those who eat insects.  Putting out seed, believe it or not, also helps attract insect eating birds.  Many birds such as Starlings, travel in flocks that include seed eaters, and when the seed eaters stop for a snack so will they.  While the Sparrows are snacking on your seed, the Starlings may be snacking on your garden snails !

Orioles, such as we have here in Baltimore, eat wasps.  If you are allergic to wasps or bees you'll likely want to attract these beautiful, friendly birds to their yard.  A single pair of Orioles can eat hundreds, if not thousands of wasps in one year !  Orioles also happen to love fruit, like blackberries and red blossom nectar.  Many of the same snacks that attract hummingbirds, will also attract Orioles, including grape jelly and mulberry trees. 

Aside from just being pretty and fun, Hummingbirds eat small insects including tiny spiders.  Hummingbirds love red flower blossoms, and Impatiens,Nasturtiums, and Gladiolus.  Humming bird feeders can be purchased very cheaply, and need only be filled with a mixture of ¼ cup of sugar, to 1 cup water, to feed these adorable little birds.