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There are a couple of ducks in my yard (male and female). I think they have come to my backyard to make a nest. I fear that if this happens half my backyard will become off-limits due to an angry duck-mom. I also worry that they will munch on my seedlings in the spring. How do I get rid of them?

I have read that hanging CDs on trees could deter them. Does this work?

I know a dog would do the trick, but I don't want a pet. Also, both of my neighbours have dogs and the ducks do not mind them so far.

I want to stay away from pesticides, but if that is my only option I will use it.

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    Duck L'Orange??
    – bstpierre
    Commented Mar 18, 2012 at 22:13
  • Do you (or your neighbours) have a pond? If your pond is the only water in the area, then covering it up may help.
    – winwaed
    Commented Mar 19, 2012 at 13:49
  • I can confirm that dogs may not work - depends if the ducks are used to them: I know of a farm with dogs and ornamental ducks - ducks didn't care about the dogs.
    – winwaed
    Commented Mar 19, 2012 at 13:50
  • As it turns out, the ducks did not nest. @winwaed, yes, I have a small pond and that is what was attracting them, but they seem to be scouting the whole neighbourhood, not just my backyard. They do visit ocassionally still.
    – Om Patange
    Commented Mar 31, 2012 at 18:10
  • @bstpierre that made me laugh.
    – itsmatt
    Commented May 23, 2013 at 14:43

7 Answers 7

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Here are some often repeated remedies. However ducks are like people with individual likes and dislikes. What might terrify one duck could be "ho-hum" to another.

  • a plastic owl: usually available at birding stores, sometimes outdoor/hunting stores. Get the better quality ones with a head that moves or the deluxe versions with wings that move. (I'm not making this up!)
  • any bright object like CD's on a string or bright reflective streamers
  • as a temporary solution string fishing line across your yard near where they land above head height. All birds don't like to hit things when they are landing and fishing line will not hurt them, only surprise them.
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    I am not sure whether or not to accept this answer, as I did not get to try any of your suggestions; the ducks just left on their own. What is the general etiquette in a case like this?
    – Om Patange
    Commented Mar 31, 2012 at 18:14
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    If you accept an answer it should be due to it's quality. If it answers your question in a comprehensive way with solutions that could have worked for you.
    – kevinskio ♦
    Commented Apr 1, 2012 at 1:47
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I've had a pair of mallard ducks come to my yard. (Unlike you though I welcomed them...)

In any case - they did not take residence - they just liked to visit often. I wish they had stayed to lay eggs - and nest

They did not damage my garden

They returned the next year and hung about - no nests, no "angry duck mom".

If you don't want wildlife perhaps move to an urban area?

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  • I am in fact in a city, and my backyard is not very large. This is why I was concerned about having an angry duck-mom.
    – Om Patange
    Commented Mar 31, 2012 at 18:12
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Mylar balloons should take care of the problem. We anchor them to a brick. I read somewhere that the balloons interfere with their landing mechanism. We used old balloons, but once they have been inflated, they can sometime take a second inflation. After that, they are done!

Our ducks came back after a few years. So this evening, we have posted 3 mylar balloons.

Good luck!

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Try dusting the area with cayenne pepper. I seem to recall hearing that some animals respond to the heating effects by moving on.

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We have a pool and twice a year ducks try to nest around it. They make a mess of the pool. My solution was hi-tech. I went to Leslie's and bought a battery operated boat. I rigged up the battery wires to a home made motion sensor. When the ducks landed in the pool the waves started up the boat and scared them away. Hee hee.

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Here in NZ, one is allowed to shoot them in the hunting season. I only have to shoot them to kill once a neighbour had fed them. Then they see people as food sources and pollute the yard and decks. And it cant be undone.

However, the two most successful methods that have worked, for scaring them.

  1. Shoot an air rifle in the air. They dont like the noise and soon know what a gun looks like, if they dont already know. After 3 or 4 shots, they move elsewhere. Commercially, the farmers use what they call cannons, and shoot in the air randomly.

  2. Playing a recording of a hawk swooping down, followed by sounds of distressed ducks. I was able to buy this at a farm store.

Another thing that might work for you is my humane method of culling ducks and geese.

  1. Use a soft bristled broom and push the bird off the nest.
  2. Take all eggs but one and discsrd them. I used to leave them in the middle of the padfock for hawks etc.
  3. Do not take all eggs, otherwise they will find a more secluded spot to nest.
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A hunting rifle would probably solve the problem.

If you're looking for non-lethal methods, you could probably shoot them with a BB or pellet gun, and encourage them to go somewhere else that way.

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    I'm not sure that any kind of violence (in other words: the risk of injuries to the animal) is a good idea. I think there is always ways to get rid of "pests" by using natural ways.
    – Patrick B.
    Commented Mar 20, 2012 at 12:39
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    Where I live if you harm/scare wildlife you can be subject to fines unless you have a hunting licence and meet the other regulations.
    – kevinskio ♦
    Commented Mar 22, 2012 at 17:44
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    Where I live, if it's on your property, you can shoot it. Also, nature tends to be violent when it gets rid of pests.
    – baka
    Commented Mar 22, 2012 at 23:16
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    -1: If you're anywhere in the US, you need a duck stamp to hunt ducks. Shooting the birds with a BB gun or a pellet rifle is even more irresponsible in my opinion, because you run the possibility of seriously wounding them without putting them out of their misery.
    – Doresoom
    Commented May 8, 2013 at 14:55
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    could be dangerous for other animals and people in the neighborhood...
    – J. Chomel
    Commented Apr 13, 2017 at 6:27

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