I had to reseed some parts of my lawn. The birds ate more than half the seeds. I am pissed is there any thing I could put down along with the seed that will keep them away? The seed was turned under the soil also. You should see the damage. Before I start taking a pellet or BB gun to them figured I ask.

Speaking of lawns... I sprayed RoundUp on my lawn for various weeds. I now have several small dead spots in the grass, and most of the weeds are still growing!!!!! I plan to pull the weeds soon, and am wondering if I need to re-seed the dead spots, or if the grass will re-seed itself?

I did that myself and thats why I am reseeding. The dam stuff killed everything but the weeds. I followed the directions and everything else.

I did some soil tests and told my PH is OK just had to do the Lime application earlier this year. There has to be something to get rid of them becides bullets

The grass will only re-seed itself if you  let it go to seed. It is a lot easier to get some of the seed that is mixed with mulch, IIRC it's called Lawn Patch.

Lawn patch works like a charm. I use the "Scott's" lawn patch and have never had a single problem.

Now, about them birds. The only thing to do is cover the seed with straw. Save for that a BB gun is the only solution.

You need Nuclear Roundup, awaiting EPA approval, or else 12-ga. Roundup (not approved in all states).

Get a cat.

Round-up SUCKS! I do let my lawn go to seed before I mow it (doesn't get very high in the front yard). I did this origianlly to fill in the holes that the brickers made while bricking the neighbor's house. I also noticed that the grass grows sideways, which in time, I think will also fill in the holes... As for the weeds I sprayed-- some breeds died, but the thorn-types did not. (Also, on the instructions for Round-up, which I read after I sprayed, it says not to spray on weeds in the lawn, or brown spots will appear. I would rather have brown spots, since the weeds would be killed, but now I have weeds and brown spots! I should take my Round-up back for a refund since it didn't kill the weeds!)

What kind of birds?

aahhhhhhhh........!!

don't kill the birds !! they are protected by federal migratory & song bird laws & regulations...

for reseeding, a lawn or a patch, cover the seeded area with a light cover of straw, cover that with burlap, stake it down with small wooden pins that will deteriorate in the soil, keep damp, not soggy wet, the new grass will grow up thru the straw & burlap & in a few months you will never know the straw & burlap was there......

as for killing weeds, "Ground Zero" is best, but you gotta know a professional to get it..., at least in Az. you do.......

Thanks that is what I used the Scotts Lawn Patch. They are attracted to that Sparrows and Crows. I will try the Burlap and Pin. Believe it or not Straw is hard to come by where I live.

Get a bird feeder, and feed the birds what they want to eat. I doubt grass seed is high on the list of preferred foods.

The Round Up you can usually buy is not the Round Up the pros use.  It is substantially watered down, especially if you buy the ready-to apply stuff.

I get professional strength Round Up concentrate and mix in my sprayer according to my needs. Some weeds are REAL tough though and even Pro Round Up needs a second application to kill them.  A lot also depends upon when you apply the stuff. Weeds that have not yet reached maturity will be a lot more resistant to it.  Why?  Because in an immature plant the flow is from roots to leaves, bringing nutrients and water up from the ground to help the new growth.  With a mature plant, there is a greater potential for downward flow from the leaves to the roots where Round Up needs to get to in order to work.

It also helps to spray a couple hours before a rainstorm.  Enough time that the plant is sensing the coming rain and opening up it's pores in response, but far enough off that the Round Up will have time to completely dry before the rain gets there.

Of course I also have access to some real serious stuff (my father-in-law owns a vegetation management company and my wife is fully licensed to apply even the strongest industrial herbicides (a good soaking around the base of a tree with some of this stuff and the tree is history).

I have found Round Up to work pretty well on most weeds though when used properly.  Japanese bamboo and similarly rugged and invasive species take special handling though.  I mix the concentrate 50/50 with water in a small spray bottle, cut down the plant's main stalk and spray round up on the stump.  The plant sucks the stuff down into the roots and kills itself.  Takes a few seasons to wipe out the whole stand in this same manner. This has a minimal impact on the plants around the bamboo.

Round Up typically takes two or even three applications in an especially well established Poison Ivy thicket to take it down.

Remember, the directions were written so that a total idiot would have difficulty doing excessive damage with the stuff. They were also written with the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, etc. all breathing down the company's neck.  Up the recipe and you should do fine.

There are also broadleaf control chemicals available that will kill crabgrass, most weeds and plants, but will typically leave cultured grasses alone.  Some are frighteningly expensive.

I have a bird feeder and they still attack the hand that feeds them. I really don't want to harm them but but between them and the bushy tail rodents it's getting out of hand. I was able to get rid of the Long Island Ducks.

I guess covering the spots might help going to try tomorrow.

For scaring the birds off:

Plastic Owls (must be high, hang from roof or pole)

rubber snakes where they can be seen

Scare crow, A frame or small tree with shiny pie tins tied to it.

If they are crows, Take an old gym sock and a large can of cream corn and red food coloring.  drop sock on ground and stir in a large amount of coloring to the corn.  Pour red corn over sock.  Looks like a dead animal and gets the crows in a centralized location.  Wound a crow and tie it down, others will come to help when they hear it.  Have plenty of bb's or bullets.

I bought the concentrated stuff, and the batch I made in the sprayer was definately a strong mixture (just dumped some in, but I know it was a lot stronger than the recommendation because I didn't add much water). Didn't work. Killed the grass but not most of the weeds.