Transform An Old Tomato Cage Into A Smart Way To Keep Pests Out Of Your Garden

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

The idyllic, cartoon vision of a garden isn't complete without joyful woodland critters keeping you company, perhaps whistling a tune while you work. In real life, that image shatters the moment one of those pests bites into your perfectly sprouted vegetables. Sure, there are countless ways to keep critters out of your garden, ranging from DIY tricks to commercial products, but one incredibly simple and inexpensive method requires nothing but an old tomato cage, a few CDs, and some string.

How does it work? Well, the shimmering and unpredictable reflection cast by CDs (or DVDs) can frighten away common garden pests, particularly birds and squirrels. In fact, it's a tried-and-true tactic to use old CDs to deter pests from your garden, so you can really hang them anywhere in the garden, but the tomato cage is useful because you can elevate the CDs, allowing them to catch the sunlight and spread the reflection farther, as well as cluster multiple CDs together. Tomato cages are an amazing option for growing a wide variety of vining and sprawling vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and eggplants, making this a practical hack for every garden.

TikTok user @wendyleighvannoy posted a short video showing several CDs swaying in the breeze while strung from a tomato cage with a fishing line. They also attached CDs to fence posts surrounding the garden to add flashes of light from different angles. Of course, this trick isn't guaranteed to have a 100% success rate, and it isn't known to be effective against most insects, but it's so quick and easy that it's worth a shot, especially if you've been facing ongoing pest problems, and it can even be decorative.

Start by placing the tomato cage in a central area of your garden or near plants that are particularly targeted by pests. Then tie a few CDs to the cage's tines, ideally with fishing line or another weather-resistant string, and make sure there's enough slack for the CDs to move in the wind. It also works great alongside other garden pest control tactics. "[My] dad used to use pie tins, way before the time of CDs," one TikTok commenter wrote. You could also use pinwheels or specially designed scare tape, like this roll from MP Mypole, to deter birds and squirrels.

Various noises scare those animals away, too. If possible, string up enough CDs close together so they clatter against one another, and you could tie small wind chimes to the tomato cage as well. The trick is to always keep the pests on their toes and confused -– without harming them, of course. Even if your CD-covered tomato cage works for a little while, birds and squirrels may become more comfortable with it over time and start scouring the garden again. If this happens, try changing the location of the tomato cage, along with adding new deterrents. For a few bucks (if not for free) and with a few minutes of DIY handiwork, this tomato cage hack can manage garden pests and turn plants from feeble to flourishing.