If you’re a homeowner who lives near the wild then you likely have some wild animals coming to visit your yard on a regular basis. Some of these visitors may be ducks who want to lay eggs in your yard.
If you’re not a fan of ducks visiting your yard and want to know how to stop these birds from visiting and laying eggs then read on.
Table of Contents
How to stop ducks laying eggs in my yard:
Ducks prefer to isolate themselves from their flock members when they are about to lay eggs. The birds do this to ensure that they are protected and hidden away from predators while egg laying.
If no eggs are present:
If there are no eggs in the nest yet, and you want the duck to keep from laying eggs in your yard, then you would need to take away the reason why the bird has chosen to lay eggs in your yard.
Ducks choose to lay eggs in your yard either because there is a water body on your property that the birds can swim in, because there are plants where the duck can hide and nest in, because the area is free from predators, and/or because there is enough food in the area to raise ducklings
If you want these birds to stay away from your yard and choose not to nest there then you’d need to repel them and get rid of the things that attracted the birds to your property in the first place. This is how to do so:
Make the plants inaccessible:
Do this by placing a net over your plants so that the mother duck can’t get access to them and nest in there, the birds will stop coming once she realizes that she has nowhere to nest.
Get rid of water bodies:
Cover up your water bodies with a pool cover to keep ducks away. You also have the option of draining the water bodies if you can.
Introduce fake predators:
Use fake predators all around your property to scare ducks away, using fake predators like fake owls or fake hawks can help to keep ducks away. Using fake owls or hawks that move and make sounds will be more effective.
Limit food:
Getting rid of any foods that the birds have access to will help keep them away, this includes any food waste that may be laying around your property.
Annoy the bird:
Disturb the mother duck while she’s on your property looking for a place to nest. You hanging around her will keep her away as ducks are scared of humans.
If eggs are present:
If ducks frequent your yard then the bird likely thinks that your property is a great and safe place to lay and incubate her eggs.
If the ducks have already laid eggs in your yard then you’d need to first check with your local laws to see if disturbing a mother duck and her eggs or ducklings is permitted.
In some areas, it is illegal to destroy or even move a nest if there are duck eggs in the nest. If this is the case in your area then you would need to wait until the birds have left and then you can destroy or move the nest.
The duck nesting on your property will more than likely leave your property once her ducklings have matured. It is recommended that you leave the mother duck and her ducklings alone until then
You won’t have to wait for too long, duck egg incubation usually only lasts 21 to 30 days
If there is no law in your area against disturbing the nest and eggs then you can move or destroy the nest
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other duck related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Duck Eggs Turning Grey, Vinegar And Ducks, Duck Only Sitting On Eggs At Night, How To Stop Ducks From Laying Eggs, Dark Spots On Duck Eggs, Vinegar In A Duck Pool, Duck Poop Stains In Pool