Bird Deterrent

fryup

The birds are attacking my fruit like billy-o

is there any way i can stop them ? apart from netting is there any decent Bird Deterrent out there?

GreeBo

A cat.

New Home

Some people hang old CDs or strips of reflective material to the branches, but I wouldn't hold my breath. If it's large fruits, like apples, you could try cover them with paper bags, they should hold until the next rain. Otherwise covering the plant with nets is your best bet.

pjdarcy

There's an outdoor shopping centre up around Drogheda that plays sounds of large birds of prey through their loudspeakers to deter smaller birds. I have no idea if it works but it's certainly disconcerting when you first get out of your car.

macraignil

If you stretch old audio tape around the place and get the tension on it right it makes a funny noise when the wind blows through it. I found this worked to keep birds off some of my vegetables previously. The tape does eventually break but I found it did seem to work for a few weeks anyway.

_Brian

GreeBo wrote: »

A cat.

Never stops the birds round here.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Netting is the only reliable method.

wildwillow

Netting, but blackbirds in particular will fing the tiniest gap. If you are a serious fruit grower, consider a fruit cage. I have one but plant a few currants and gooseberries outside of it among other shrubs and the birds find these.

fryup

is a fruit cage something i can buy in my local woodies, b&q?

wildwillow

Mr Middleton sells them but mine is made like a pergola using fine wire mesh which allows the pollinating insects in but not birds. Have some clematis growing on pillars but not giving too much shade. Should add that the garden is large, two acres so such a structure isn’t out of place

fryup

Ryder Round Dove wrote: »

Netting is the only reliable method.

yes but sometimes birds get tangled up in netting and i hate that

New Home

Then your only other option is to pick the fruit before they do.

auspicious

Get a life sized replica of a bird of prey; owl; kestrel; snake even...

'Placing Decoys
This is the method to use to literally scare birds away. Decoys like scarecrows, balloons, fake owls and even rubber snakes can be places to keep birds away. This method might work for a while, but generally birds catch on. After a while, they will be get used to whatever decoy you are using. Many times they will turn scarecrows into a comfortable perch. The best way to prevent things like this is to constantly be rotating and repositioning the decoy. This will keep the birds weary and make the decoy seem lively. This is why balloons are a popular pick.'

GreeBo

On golf courses we have two methods to keep them off the greens
1) A bird of prey kite, since these are "constantly" moving in the wind they dont get used to them
2) Hang up a dead bird, this has always been the most successful way to keep other crows/blackbirds away but isn't the most pleasant

New Home

This morning in Homebase I saw a thing called "humming tape" - I think it works just like the cassettes tape, when the breeze hits it, it vibrates at a certain frequency that the birds find unpleasant.

I wouldn't go hanging dead birds anywhere, aside from being nasty it may attract scavenger birds, too.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

GreeBo wrote: »

2) Hang up a dead bird, this has always been the most successful way to keep other crows/blackbirds away but isn't the most pleasant

Besides not being practical for the OP in a garden, this has been shown to only be effective for crows.

rolion

New Home wrote: »

Then your only other option is to pick the fruit before they do.

Good advice...This year lost the battle with the birds.
Definetevely i will know how to deal for next year.

Had a lovely cherry that just exploded with fruits this year,i was looking at it everyday UNTIL one morning,noise woke me up and the floor,rocks and stone were red blooded from the huge amount of fruits dropped and shattered by the thieves. Happy to see they were eating,crazy to see the good one gone.
Took a pot and picked most of them,left only few,that they werent rippened.
Guess what,those one,are still there today,probably the fcukers waiting for it,like me.

What ive observed,they are not afraid of me,either they were really hungry or used to human presence and they are not bothered as sometimes i had to go near enough to the tree itself.

i will be prepared for next year...

New Home

TBH, what I gave you was in part bad advice - I omitted to tell you that birds don't mind fruit that isn't completely ripened (and they LOVE cherries) . They may also start pecking on the ripe side of a fruit, and leave the rest behind, if it's still green. But at least you don't have to contend with wasps and hornets, those leave only the peel of the fruit behind (apples, I mean, the rest gets devoured) hanging on the branches like empty baubles.

rolion

New Home wrote: »

TBH, what I gave you was in part bad advice - I omitted to tell you that birds don't mind fruit that isn't completely ripened (and the LOVE cherries) . They may also start pecking on the ripe side of a fruit, and leave the rest behind, if it's still green. But at least you don't have to contend with wasps and hornets, those leave only the peel of the fruit behind (apples, I mean, the rest gets devoured) hanging on the branches like empty baubles.

I know...

I was pissed as i was waiting days for the cherries to get fully red and sweet... then one morning,a full maybe 10 "black big birds" got them terminated... at least if they were smaller i have ha dno issues, but with even two pigeons arrived at the feast,as well,kind of felt "cheated" ...

I have apples, plums and pears waiting and i will get a nest protection of some kind.

Take care.

fryup

cherries will still ripen off the tree wouldn't they?

New Home

Not as well as apples or persimmon or other fruit. They lose a lot of flavour (in fact, they're at their tastiest easten straight off the tree), and they wilt, too. Some varieties may be less prone to that, though.

Lumen

I netted my cherries this year and this had the unintended consequence of collecting them as they fell, so I got a few ripe ones each day.

Thud

You could use these for larger fruit, allows fruit to continue ripening
https://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/0.html?orderId=507884942369281&productId=32956841780

New Home

That page is asking for a log-in.

Thud

New Home wrote: »

That page is asking for a log-in.

Same as these but cheaper on aliexpress (100 for €10)
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/20pcs-Net-bags-Nylon-Drawstring-Garden-Plant-Fruit-Protect-Anti-pest-Mesh-Set/183824817621?hash=item2accd01dd5:m:mS2LgWTVaeLgrK80ODEUZEw