Have ducks found a place in landscapes as a form of pest control? Recently there have been more articles about commercial rice growers using ducks in their fields to keep down the snails and reduce the use of pesticides. It makes total sense in the fact that ducks have a voracious appetite, especially for things like slugs and snails. They can also effectively knock down their numbers. But are ducks right for the home garden? 

Neighborhood

We have an eclectic neighborhood. It includes one neighbor featuring dozens of cats (yes, it’s most likely a hoarding situation there). And, another with an equal amount of chickens, ducks, extraordinary pheasants (some breeds I’ve never seen before he showed me), and other birds. We’re used to dodging cats all of the time, as they often sun themselves in the road or hide in the bushes. When springtime is in full swing, the birds go on parade. I was kind of hopeful a pair was going to nest back with my horse. I thought they would eat a lot of the fly larvae and possibly reduce the fly numbers later in the season, but they moved on to another area.

Having the ducks waddling down the road isn’t a problem in and of itself. It’s when they expand their territory to include neighbors’ landscapes that a little friction arises because they can make a mess. If there’s a puddle or even a damp spot in the yard; they seem to stomp into until it is mud. And the poop is a problem. Even their adorability factor isn’t enough to make their propensity of defecating whenever the mood hits does win friends. 

Ducks in the Garden

Focusing ducks in the garden is a completely different situation than having marauding bands patrol the neighborhood. The positive aspect of ducks is they don’t eat the plants once they are past the seedling stage. So, unlike chickens, they won’t consume the plants you’re trying to protect. But they will squash them. We had a duck years ago. I often brought her in the garden with me. I noticed that she didn’t follow the pathways. If you have several ducks, they can destroy more plants than they ultimately save. 

And truthfully, the poop issue arises again. While I love the idea of having a natural slug – or earwig – catcher, I can see where fresh manure in the garden is not desirable. Even though ducks don’t have many of the same disease issues as chickens, fresh manure on the vegetables you’re going to eat is not a good thing ever. 

If you’re going to have ducks for pest patrol, you might want to focus them in areas with non-edible growth such as ornamental gardens. Slugs like hostas just as much as they do lettuce. So, ducks are an effective measure to keep them off of your plants. And if they trample the ornamentals a little bit, they often rebound quickly, plus you’re not losing your harvest. 

Ducks in the Orchard

I do believe another good place for ducks is within the orchard. They can’t reach more than a couple of feet high, as long as you don’t eat the fruit from the ground (poo issue again). If you keep them in the orchard, make sure they have a kiddie pool or some other small source of water for them to wade into and play. In my mind, even if they stomped the grass underneath the trees, it is ultimately a good thing since grass competes so much with the feeder roots on the fruit trees. 

Ducks definitely have their place in the landscape. If you’re looking for a highly entertaining way to keep pests on the ground under control – because a tank full of spray doesn’t have much personality – consider bringing in a few ducks. They might be a little messy. However, they do a bang up job keeping the slugs under wraps and won’t eat your plants.