Birds and Cherries

[Michael Evangelista]

I love birds. So much that I don't mind sharing some of my cherries. I also love cherries, and don't want the dang pesky birds pecking a hole in each and every one the day before it gets good and ripe!

Other than pie plates, which seem to be keeping safe only the very branches they are tied to, I'm looking for tried and true tips to keep these lovely little creatures from greedily devouring my first really good cherry crop.

Does the netting over the whole tree really work? (and can it be removed wi thout the aid of 4 ladders or lots of cutting?) Are there any scents that w ould help? Sounds? Scarecrows? Plastic owls? How about tethering a large hu ngry cat to the tree? (just kidding... sort of...)

[David Hare-Scott]

I use bird netting on my fruit trees. This is the white polymer kind with a mesh of about 20mm (3/4 "). You have to buy a net big enough for the tree, which seems really obvious but I have seen people try to use several small bits of net.

It keeps out fruit bats. It does not keep out possums. It keeps out most birds. The only way you know whether you have birds able to get through is to try. Most birds will sit on it an peck ineffectually trying to get to the fruit near the edge. Some systematically rip a hole in the net to enter.

I had one female Koel (a migratory frugivorous cookoo) that would cut a new hole every dawn and over a period of a week got most of my mulberries. I only got any at all after I stopped releasing her from the net and made it impossible for her to return the next day.

The degree of difficulty getting net on or off the tree depends on the size of the tree and how many people you have with ladders, large brooms etc. You can make a hoop frame out of heavy polypipe over the tree that will make getting the net over and off again much easier. This also depends on the size of the tree as there is a limit how tall the hoops can be and stand up adequately.

I have never heard of any device to scare away birds (sound, statue, movement etc) that works well. Usually the birds get used to it and then ignore it.

[Steve Peek]

so love cherries, and don't want the dang pesky birds pecking a hole in eac h and every one the day before it gets good and ripe!

es they are tied to, I'm looking for tried and true tips to keep these love ly little creatures from greedily devouring my first really good cherry cro p.

without the aid of 4 ladders or lots of cutting?) Are there any scents that would help? Sounds? Scarecrows? Plastic owls? How about tethering a large hungry cat to the tree? (just kidding... sort of...)

Rubber snakes and/or hawk/owl decoys work to a degree especially if they ar e moved about at night. A motion sensitive water cannon can help as well.

Steve (who's considering a real cannon as my two trees were stripped in one day)

[Michael Evangelista]

Thanks for the tips, I might consider hoops and netting next year. I like the water cannon idea too.