Berry plantings delight the eyes of farmers... and not only them. Every time the harvest season approaches, dispassionate glances are already looking at the vegetable gardens and orchards from above. And we must be prepared to give a proper rebuff to the feathered “sweet lovers.”
Peculiarities
There are many options for saving sweet fruits. But it is important to figure out exactly how to protect and preserve Victoria and other varieties of strawberries most effectively. For recent years the number of birds trying to peck strawberries and other berry crops, leaving only bare shoots for people, has increased significantly. The most dangerous situation is when there is:
- pond;
- lake;
- other gardens;
- cemeteries.
Who attacks the landings and how?
It is important to understand that not only blackbirds peck strawberries - other feathered creatures also share their passion for them. Pigeon and drake, sparrow and tit, starling and nightingale, goldfinch and rook... it doesn’t matter, they all love “dessert”. Moreover, birds often move from one plant to another. And soon their beaks will be aimed at raspberries, cherries and so on. Therefore, protection methods must be used, especially if summer residents visit the site occasionally.
Basic ways to prevent attacks
First of all, if birds are eating berries, you need to make a fence out of mesh. This is the most effective technique and does not pose a danger to flying creatures. Special meshes can be either metal or polypropylene. The difference between them is also related to the geometry of the cells: they are made in the form of rhombuses or rectangles. Mesh structures fully cover the plantings from the inhabitants of the sky, but do not interfere with the flow of light and water. Pollinating insects can freely penetrate through the net, and it does not interfere with feeding the leaves.
It is important to take into account several nuances:
- The easiest way is to drive stakes around the perimeter and stretch the net 0.3 m above the bushes;
- you can make something like a greenhouse when the network rests on arcs;
- When harvesting and other work, the edges can be raised slightly and returned to their place.
Alternatives
Using CDs as well as DVDs and similar media for recording data is a great hint. Old unnecessary blanks or tapes removed from cassette tapes and VCRs can be hung in well-lit places. But it is important to take into account that the protection works mainly in sunny weather. There is a risk that wind and rain will tear off the protective discs and tapes or that small birds will still bypass them. In addition, it will not be possible to hang all this on the strawberry bushes themselves (unlike cherries and other crops of sufficient height) - you will have to create additional supports.
You can also use anything that reflects light: unnecessary polished metal objects, fragments of mirrors, aluminum foil, Christmas tree decorations. But excessive brightness and glare can be tiresome for the eyes. Therefore, it is also worth thinking about sound means to scare away birds. Ten to twenty cans of beer or canned food tied to each other can create a deafening noise for winged birds. Additionally, it is worth hanging a small pocket mirror: it will complement the acoustic protection with optical effects.
The obvious disadvantage of all sound methods is that the noise quickly bothers the owners of the site and can cause scandals with neighbors.
The cans exhibit their protective properties only in windy conditions. In addition, birds can quickly adapt to the noise, and soon it will no longer bother them. A scarecrow, especially one combined with rattles or bands, can also lose its effectiveness quite quickly.
Equipment that broadcasts the calls of hawks and owls and other animals hunting herbivorous birds also helps to escape from rodents. But this is for now, especially considering the negative experience of some airports. They also tried to use this method, but the birds soon discovered the deception. In addition, few people will like harsh sounds.
The general conclusion is this: a method has not yet been invented that would be as universal, reliable and effective as covering strawberries with a net.
For another simple and interesting way to protect strawberries from birds, see the following video.
Who eats the berries, what pests - worms, ants, or someone else or what?
When strawberries begin to sing, they become soft and tasty for everyone, not just humans. Therefore, the first people who want to taste delicious and ripe strawberries are birds (blackbirds, maybe crows, jackdaws, and possibly cunning magpies, although I personally haven’t seen a magpie doing this). The best way to protect against birds is to install mesh boxes covering the bed; they are light, easy to install and remove while cultivating the soil and bushes, weeding and watering.
Mesh boxes can be made from either nylon mesh or metal; nylon mesh is always on sale especially for gardening (the scarecrow does not help, as well as all sorts of tin hangers and turntables that rotate in the wind - you can’t fool a magpie or blackbird - 1- 2 days, the birds get used to it and don’t pay attention). Also, mesh shelters with small meshes are also good for snails and drakes, which are the second most frequent guests after birds for tasty berries. Snails and drakes love strawberries. 
In addition to the mesh, you can use quicklime against drakes by digging not so deep grooves 5-7 cm wide around the beds and filling the grooves with lime. Ants and wireworms also eat strawberries. Dry mustard powder works well against ants; you sprinkle the mustard over the entire area of the bed under the roots (it’s good to mulch it with dry grass, hay or straw so that the berries don’t touch the ground itself, which causes them to rot). And until the moment when the berry just begins to ripen, during the entire period of growth and formation of the bush, you can sprinkle the bushes with dry ash (after rains, you can repeat it, from all aphids, bugs and worms). The strawberries will be whole, large, and productive.
How to protect strawberries from birds and pests
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Country garden ideas
Ideas for a summer house - furniture made from barrels
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How to protect your strawberry crop from birds?
How to protect strawberries: mesh and covering material
The most common solution is to cover the strawberry beds with netting or covering material. All this can be purchased in construction and agricultural stores or on the Internet. Plastic, polypropylene or metal mesh with cells in the shape of diamonds, rectangles and squares does not interfere with access to sunlight and moisture to plants, as well as the process of pollination of strawberries by insects.
Breathable, opaque covering material (Lutrasil, Spunbond, Agril, Agrospan) provides a greenhouse effect. Birds do not see the berries, and therefore do not try to get into the garden bed. But pollination in a natural way is impossible in this case. Without sun, strawberry bushes grow poorly, the berries take longer to ripen, and the harvest decreases. Excessive watering may cause plantings to rot.
When closing the bed, pegs are driven around the perimeter at intervals of 45–50 cm, onto which the material is attached so that it goes down to the ground. There it also needs to be fixed, for example, with bricks. Pull it quite tightly so that the mesh does not sag in the center. The height of the structure is 15–20 cm higher than the strawberry bushes.
: how to attach covering material to the garden bed?
Indeed, in this case it is problematic for birds to get to the berries, but the solution is not without its drawbacks:
- You need to find a fairly dense fine mesh. An ordinary fishing rod will not work. Birds freely enter the cells. If the mesh is too thin, it will simply be torn. Consequently, finding the right material can take a lot of time and effort.
- Price issue. If you have a small plot and 1-2 beds, you shouldn’t even think about it. And those who grow strawberries on an industrial scale must purchase covering material and netting in the hundreds. square meters. It turns out to be quite expensive.
- Caring for plantings becomes significantly more complicated. It is also impossible to walk through the garden, picking a couple of berries along the way. For any weeding, loosening, fertilizing, watering, or harvesting, the net and material must be removed and then the bed covered again. Such frequent use sharply reduces the service life of the material - holes are formed, which are immediately expanded by birds.
- Birds that see tasty berries do not consider the netting a serious nuisance. Trying to get to them at all costs, they become entangled and stuck so that they cannot free themselves from the cells without outside help. We have to help people. Birds do not appreciate this and bite painfully.
- An important factor is aesthetic. Just a net thrown over the beds looks very sloppy. This means you need to think about how to secure it beautifully. This means additional expenditure of effort, time and money.
The disadvantages can be partially mitigated by purchasing a set of special frame arches made of metal, plastic or bamboo. They are quite light, so no foundation is required. Their number depends on the length of the bed. The optimal distance between the arcs is 60–80 cm. They must be installed and the mesh secured on top - you should get a structure that resembles a section of a tunnel. If you find high enough arches, you can go inside, like into a greenhouse or greenhouse. This greatly facilitates planting care and harvesting. But the beds turn out to be very narrow.
When fruiting is over, the net is removed and the frame is dismantled until next year.
Hence, best solution- a mesh made of plastic, fine-mesh (so that birds don’t get confused), quite rigid (so it doesn’t sag), fixed on frame arches. Separate pieces will be needed to cover the resulting “tunnel” from the ends. Otherwise the design loses all meaning.
If you decide to use the mesh and arc method, the birds will not be able to reach the strawberries, and it will be convenient for you to care for the beds
: net for protecting strawberry beds
Boxes with mesh lids
Another option for protecting strawberries using a net does not have the listed disadvantages, but requires certain practical skills. If you have carpentry or joinery experience, build boxes with mesh lids for planting.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- Select boards of suitable length and width.
- Assemble a wooden box with crossbars every 60–80 cm, fastening the boards with screws and corner bars. There is no need to make it very high - ventilation worsens, the berries do not have enough sun. It is enough that the future cover does not touch the plantings. Other parameters are determined by the size of the bed.
- Attach legs made of short bars to the box in each corner, sharpening them at the bottom. If the bed is very long, you will need additional legs on the long side. Since the legs will be driven into the ground, treat the tree with a special compound that prevents rotting. You can simply burn them.
- Place the box on the bed and drive the legs into the ground, gently tapping the corners with a hammer.
- Protect the structure from negative impact natural factors - rain, snow, cold, wind. A primer will help with this. It is sold in hardware stores, but the composition prepared independently is no worse. 1 kg of slaked lime should be diluted in 2 liters of water and added 100 g of laundry soap shavings. All this is thoroughly mixed and filtered immediately before processing the boards.
- Based on the dimensions of the resulting sections, assemble the frames for the lids from thin bars.
- Attach the covers to the frame using hinged hinges installed on the outside so that it opens outward.
- Cut out pieces of mesh of the required size and secure it with staples using a furniture stapler, bent small nails, and thin slats.
- Attach a handle, loop or something else to each lid that allows it to be opened freely.
Beds in boxes look very neat and reliably protected How can you scare birds?
Any methods common among people are not very useful. In the first few days the effect may be noticeable, but the birds are not stupid and quickly figure out what they are dealing with. Having discovered that something scary-looking poses no real danger, they boldly continue to destroy your berries.
Therefore, the methods described below should be alternated and combined as often as possible. This is the only way you will achieve a more or less permanent result.
Scarecrow
The “old-fashioned” method, used since time immemorial. Currently, the classic effigy of two cross-shaped poles or boards, dressed in old clothes stuffed with straw, with a bag representing the head, is practically not used for obvious reasons. The birds are not at all afraid of him. On the contrary, they happily rest on the “shoulders” of this structure after a delicious lunch. This is also an excellent position for looking out for the most delicious and ripe berries.
But your children will get great pleasure from the process of building a scarecrow. This is a great opportunity for them to show their imagination and creativity. You can use, for example, an old mannequin as a basis.
If you still decide to protect your beds with a scarecrow, regularly move it from place to place and change its appearance. The more radical, the better. It is also useful to secure the structure so that it rotates on a support.
Somewhat more effective are plastic and rubber naturalistic models of birds of prey sold in agricultural stores, made in compliance with dimensions and proportions. Especially if they are “decorated” with something shiny and are accompanied by a device for reproducing and recording the sounds made by these birds.
An electrified mannequin equipped with a motion sensor, which would start making sounds and, for example, waving its “arms” when birds approach, would greatly help gardeners. But the introduction of such structures into production is a matter of the future. And the price will be appropriate. On small ones personal plots such a “scarecrow” simply won’t pay off.
: how to make a scarecrow?
Noise
Birds' hearing is much more subtle than that of humans. Therefore, they do not tolerate sharp loud sounds well. Try to save the beds like this:
- Stretch several threads or thin wires over them and hang cans from them at different heights close to each other. A more aesthetic option is “wind music”. At the slightest breath, the jars and tubes will swing and hit each other, making noise. But you will have to endure it too. This is especially pleasing late at night or early in the morning. And every day, removing the cans and hanging them back will quickly get boring. In addition, the wind does not always blow.
- Every day, turn on special audio recordings that reproduce the cries of birds of prey or the cries of feathered “pests”, signaling to relatives about danger. They are sold in gardening stores and online. If you want to save money, just turn the radio on loud. However, such sound will most likely not please your neighbors.
Color and shine
High posts are driven into the corners of the bed. A thin rope or wire is stretched around the perimeter and crosswise at different heights. They hang on it:
- Old CDs and DVDs. Oscillating under gusts of wind, they reflect the sun's rays, throwing away “bunnies”. But in cloudy weather, birds hardly pay attention to them.
- Unnecessary Christmas decorations, “rain” and tinsel, ordinary foil, as well as polyethylene or cellophane cut into “fringe”. In this case, the beds look elegant and festive. But if you overdo it with “decorations”, they are almost impossible to care for.
- A tape extracted from an audio or video tape. It can be hung as a fringe and additionally pulled tightly around the perimeter, surrounding the bed several times. The tape not only shines and moves, but also makes a rattling sound that is unpleasant for birds at the slightest breath. It is almost on the verge of ultrasound, therefore it is almost inaudible to humans.
- Bandages, white ribbons, flags and balloons filled with helium. There is an opinion that birds do not like white and are afraid of him. The balls can be made even more terrifying by painting something resembling an eye on them with red, blue or black paint.
- Homemade turntables from plastic bottles. The plastic reflects light, and the structure rotates in the wind. This can be a spectacular addition to your garden decor.
Birds quickly understand that all this shine and rustle does not pose any real danger.
Special devices
Science does not stand still, so special devices that scare away birds have appeared on sale. Most often, they are equipped with a built-in infrared or laser motion sensor, so they turn on only when a landing party of birds approaches.
The devices produce high-range sounds that are unpleasant to birds and inaudible to the human ear.
There are also devices that periodically emit loud, sharp sounds, reminiscent of a siren, claps or gunshots. Sometimes this is supplemented by flashing or glowing. On some, you can adjust the frequency and volume of the sound.
Such devices are certainly effective, but are quite expensive. Therefore, owners of small plots of land do not even consider the possibility of such an acquisition. The harvest is not worth it; there are less expensive methods of protecting it.
: how to scare away birds
What to plant to distract attention?
Gardeners sympathetic to Greenpeace, IFAW and other wildlife organizations can offer birds an alternative source of food.
In a row with strawberry beds, berries are planted that ripen at about the same time as strawberries, the loss of which will upset you less. It can be bird cherry, sea buckthorn, serviceberry, chokeberry and red rowan, wild cherry. The method does not guarantee anything. Birds are not obligated to eat only the berries intended for them. It is very likely that they will destroy both them and the strawberries. But not a single bird will be harmed. Even morally, seeing the berries and not being able to get to them.
Other ways to protect berries
How else can you protect the crop grown with such difficulty?
- The easiest way is to increase the planting area. This way there will be enough berries for both the birds and you. But not all summer residents are ready to share with the “freeloaders” the harvest, on the cultivation of which they spent so much time, effort and money. In fact, almost no one is ready, except for individual fanatical nature lovers.
- Get a cat, or better yet several. Or at least periodically lure neighbor or stray animals to your place. To do this, you can, for example, plant valerian. Hunting, as a rule, turns out to be fruitless, but the very fact of the presence of natural enemies on the site will force the birds to be less impudent. A significant disadvantage is that animals carried away by the process of catching birds can trample the beds. And not only with strawberries. In addition, the presence of wild cats and small children on the property at the same time means the need for constant monitoring by their parents.
- Birds of prey (hawks, falcons) are much better and more effective than cats. Crows are also useful in this sense. They do not trample the beds and do not feed on strawberries. Before visiting your site, a flock of birds sends “scouts” ahead. They will certainly inform others about those who protect your plantings, and will fly around the beds on the tenth route. However, maintaining one bird of prey is more expensive than ten cats.
- Arrange a small stream, a waterfall, or a decorative fountain next to the strawberry plantings. Birds' hearing is much sharper than that of humans; they will certainly be attracted by coolness and murmuring water. There is a chance that, flocking to the water source, they will ignore the beds. But nothing prevents them, having rested in a pleasant place, then destroy your crop.
- Place onion bulbs or onion feathers cut into several pieces on the strawberry beds. Birds really don't like this smell. The downside is that you have to endure it too. In addition, berries can also absorb the smell.
- Before the strawberries ripen, scatter bright red wooden cubes, plastic bottle caps, and so on in and around the beds. Birds will try to peck them and find out that it is inedible. When the berries are ripe, the birds, remembering the absence of anything edible here, will pay less attention to your beds.
- An option for the squeamish and strong-willed. Find a dead bird somewhere, bring it to your own plot and hang it next to the strawberry beds. This will help you get rid of birds not only for this season, but also for the next few years. It looks rather unaesthetic, in no way decorating the rural pastoral, and the smell is appropriate.
- Placing poisonous baits on the site or total shooting of birds. An extremely unfortunate decision, even if you have the appropriate skills to prevent accidental hits on relatives, guests and neighbors, and the absence of pets, which can also be poisoned. Few people think about this, but in addition to the visible harm in the form of crop destruction, birds also bring significant benefits to the garden. In addition to berries, they feed on insect larvae and weed seeds. Now we have to fight them. By destroying birds, you will deprive insects of their natural enemies, increasing their population significantly, and also doom yourself to endless weeding. This will require even more time and effort.
Gardeners and gardeners grow strawberries (or, more precisely, garden strawberries) wherever the climate allows. This is a very tasty berry. Unfortunately, both people and birds know about this. Starlings, thrushes, sparrows, magpies, and even crows enjoy eating both ripe and unripe berries. Summer residents, especially those who do not live on the site permanently, have nothing left. Therefore, it is important to know what you can do to protect your strawberry crop.
How to protect strawberries: mesh and covering material
The most common solution is to cover the strawberry beds with netting or covering material. All this can be purchased in construction and agricultural stores or on the Internet. Plastic, polypropylene or metal mesh with cells in the shape of diamonds, rectangles and squares does not interfere with access to sunlight and moisture to plants, as well as the process of pollination of strawberries by insects.
The mesh for beds is presented in stores in a wide range
Breathable, opaque covering material (Lutrasil, Spunbond, Agril, Agrospan) provides a greenhouse effect. Birds do not see the berries, and therefore do not try to get into the garden bed. But pollination in a natural way is impossible in this case. Without sun, strawberry bushes grow poorly, the berries take longer to ripen, and the harvest decreases. Excessive watering may cause plantings to rot.
Covering material allows you to hide the crop from birds
When closing the bed, pegs are driven around the perimeter at intervals of 45–50 cm, onto which the material is attached so that it goes down to the ground. There it also needs to be fixed, for example, with bricks. Pull it quite tightly so that the mesh does not sag in the center. The height of the structure is 15–20 cm higher than the strawberry bushes.
Video: how to secure covering material to a garden bed?
Indeed, in this case it is problematic for birds to get to the berries, but the solution is not without its drawbacks:
- You need to find a fairly dense fine mesh. An ordinary fishing rod will not work. Birds freely enter the cells. If the mesh is too thin, it will simply be torn. Consequently, finding the right material can take a lot of time and effort.
- Price issue. If you have a small plot and 1-2 beds, you shouldn’t even think about it. And those who grow strawberries on an industrial scale must purchase covering material and netting in hundreds of square meters. It turns out to be quite expensive.
- Caring for plantings becomes significantly more complicated. It is also impossible to walk through the garden, picking a couple of berries along the way. For any weeding, loosening, fertilizing, watering, or harvesting, the net and material must be removed and then the bed covered again. Such frequent use sharply reduces the service life of the material - holes are formed, which are immediately expanded by birds.
- Birds that see tasty berries do not consider the netting a serious nuisance. Trying to get to them at all costs, they become entangled and stuck so that they cannot free themselves from the cells without outside help. We have to help people. Birds do not appreciate this and bite painfully.
- An important factor is aesthetic. Just a net thrown over the beds looks very sloppy. This means you need to think about how to secure it beautifully. This means additional expenditure of effort, time and money.
The net stretched over the beds interferes with the normal care of strawberries and harvesting
The disadvantages can be partially mitigated by purchasing a set of special frame arches made of metal, plastic or bamboo. They are quite light, so no foundation is required. Their number depends on the length of the bed. The optimal distance between the arcs is 60–80 cm. They must be installed and the mesh secured on top - you should get a structure that resembles a section of a tunnel. If you find high enough arches, you can go inside, like into a greenhouse or greenhouse. This greatly facilitates planting care and harvesting. But the beds turn out to be very narrow.
When fruiting is over, the net is removed and the frame is dismantled until next year.
Therefore, the best solution is a net made of plastic, fine-mesh (so that the birds do not get confused), quite rigid (so as not to sag), attached to frame arches. Separate pieces will be needed to cover the resulting “tunnel” from the ends. Otherwise the design loses all meaning.
If you decide to use the mesh and arc method, the birds will not be able to reach the strawberries, and it will be convenient for you to care for the beds
Video: net for protecting strawberry beds
Boxes with mesh lids
Another option for protecting strawberries using a net does not have the listed disadvantages, but requires certain practical skills. If you have carpentry or joinery experience, build boxes with mesh lids for planting.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- Select boards of suitable length and width.
- Assemble a wooden box with crossbars every 60–80 cm, fastening the boards with screws and corner bars. There is no need to make it very high - ventilation worsens, the berries do not have enough sun. It is enough that the future cover does not touch the plantings. Other parameters are determined by the size of the bed.
- Attach legs made of short bars to the box in each corner, sharpening them at the bottom. If the bed is very long, you will need additional legs on the long side. Since the legs will be driven into the ground, treat the tree with a special compound that prevents rotting. You can simply burn them.
- Place the box on the bed and drive the legs into the ground, gently tapping the corners with a hammer.
- Protect the structure from the negative effects of natural factors - rain, snow, cold, wind. A primer will help with this. It is sold in hardware stores, but the composition prepared independently is no worse. 1 kg of slaked lime should be diluted in 2 liters of water and added 100 g of laundry soap shavings. All this is thoroughly mixed and filtered immediately before processing the boards.
- Based on the dimensions of the resulting sections, assemble the frames for the lids from thin bars.
- Attach the covers to the frame using hinged hinges installed on the outside so that it opens outward.
- Cut out pieces of mesh of the required size and secure it with staples using a furniture stapler, bent small nails, and thin slats.
- Attach a handle, loop or something else to each lid that allows it to be opened freely.
Beds in boxes look very neat and reliably protected
How can you scare birds?
Any methods common among people are not very useful. In the first few days the effect may be noticeable, but the birds are not stupid and quickly figure out what they are dealing with. Having discovered that something scary-looking poses no real danger, they boldly continue to destroy your berries.
Birds, flying into the garden in flocks, can destroy your harvest in a couple of days
Therefore, the methods described below should be alternated and combined as often as possible. This is the only way you will achieve a more or less permanent result.
Scarecrow
The “old-fashioned” method, used since time immemorial. Currently, the classic effigy of two cross-shaped poles or boards, dressed in old clothes stuffed with straw, with a bag representing the head, is practically not used for obvious reasons. The birds are not at all afraid of him. On the contrary, they happily rest on the “shoulders” of this structure after a delicious lunch. This is also an excellent position for looking out for the most delicious and ripe berries.
But your children will get great pleasure from the process of building a scarecrow. This is a great opportunity for them to show their imagination and creativity. You can use, for example, an old mannequin as a basis.
If you still decide to protect your beds with a scarecrow, regularly move it from place to place and change its appearance. The more radical, the better. It is also useful to secure the structure so that it rotates on a support.
Scarecrow is a traditional but ineffective method of scaring away birds
Somewhat more effective are plastic and rubber naturalistic models of birds of prey sold in agricultural stores, made in compliance with dimensions and proportions. Especially if they are “decorated” with something shiny and are accompanied by a device for reproducing and recording the sounds made by these birds.
An electrified mannequin equipped with a motion sensor, which would start making sounds and, for example, waving its “arms” when birds approach, would greatly help gardeners. But the introduction of such structures into production is a matter of the future. And the price will be appropriate. On small plots of land, such a “scarecrow” simply will not pay off.
Video: how to make a scarecrow?
Noise
Birds' hearing is much more subtle than that of humans. Therefore, they do not tolerate sharp loud sounds well. Try to save the beds like this:
- Stretch several threads or thin wires over them and hang cans from them at different heights close to each other. A more aesthetic option is “wind music”. At the slightest breath, the jars and tubes will swing and hit each other, making noise. But you will have to endure it too. This is especially pleasing late at night or early in the morning. And every day, removing the cans and hanging them back will quickly get boring. In addition, the wind does not always blow.
- Every day, turn on special audio recordings that reproduce the cries of birds of prey or the cries of feathered “pests”, signaling to relatives about danger. They are sold in gardening stores and online. If you want to save money, just turn the radio on loud. However, such sound will most likely not please your neighbors.
Color and shine
High posts are driven into the corners of the bed. A thin rope or wire is stretched around the perimeter and crosswise at different heights. They hang on it:
- Old CDs and DVDs. Oscillating under gusts of wind, they reflect the sun's rays, throwing away “bunnies”. But in cloudy weather, birds hardly pay attention to them.
- Unnecessary Christmas tree decorations, “rain” and tinsel, ordinary foil, as well as polyethylene or cellophane cut into “fringe”. In this case, the beds look elegant and festive. But if you overdo it with “decorations”, they are almost impossible to care for.
- A tape extracted from an audio or video tape. It can be hung as a fringe and additionally pulled tightly around the perimeter, surrounding the bed several times. The tape not only shines and moves, but also makes a rattling sound that is unpleasant for birds at the slightest breath. It is almost on the verge of ultrasound, therefore it is almost inaudible to humans.
- Bandages, white ribbons, flags and balloons filled with helium. There is an opinion that birds do not like the color white and are afraid of it. The balls can be made even more terrifying by painting something resembling an eye on them with red, blue or black paint.
- Homemade pinwheels from plastic bottles. The plastic reflects light, and the structure rotates in the wind. This can be a spectacular addition to your garden decor.
Birds quickly understand that all this shine and rustle does not pose any real danger.
Old discs hanging over the garden bed glare in the sun, scaring away birds
Special devices
Science does not stand still, so special devices that scare away birds have appeared on sale. Most often, they are equipped with a built-in infrared or laser motion sensor, so they turn on only when a landing party of birds approaches.
The devices produce high-range sounds that are unpleasant to birds and inaudible to the human ear.
The device is equipped with a motion sensor
There are also devices that periodically emit loud, sharp sounds, reminiscent of a siren, claps or gunshots. Sometimes this is supplemented by flashing or glowing. On some, you can adjust the frequency and volume of the sound.
The sound gun makes loud noises when birds approach
Such devices are certainly effective, but are quite expensive. Therefore, owners of small plots of land do not even consider the possibility of such an acquisition. The harvest is not worth it; there are less expensive methods of protecting it.
Video: how to scare away birds
What to plant to distract attention?
Gardeners sympathetic to Greenpeace, IFAW and other wildlife organizations can offer birds an alternative source of food.
In a row with strawberry beds, berries are planted that ripen at about the same time as strawberries, the loss of which will upset you less. It can be bird cherry, sea buckthorn, serviceberry, chokeberry and red rowan, wild cherry. The method does not guarantee anything. Birds are not obligated to eat only the berries intended for them. It is very likely that they will destroy both them and the strawberries. But not a single bird will be harmed. Even morally, seeing the berries and not being able to get to them.
Other ways to protect berries
Cats in the garden will help you cope with uninvited guests
How else can you protect the crop grown with such difficulty?
- The easiest way is to increase the planting area. This way there will be enough berries for both the birds and you. But not all summer residents are ready to share with the “freeloaders” the harvest, on the cultivation of which they spent so much time, effort and money. In fact, almost no one is ready, except for individual fanatical nature lovers.
- Get a cat, or better yet several. Or at least periodically lure neighbor or stray animals to your place. To do this, you can, for example, plant valerian. Hunting, as a rule, turns out to be fruitless, but the very fact of the presence of natural enemies on the site will force the birds to be less impudent. A significant disadvantage is that animals carried away by the process of catching birds can trample the beds. And not only with strawberries. In addition, the presence of wild cats and small children on the property at the same time means the need for constant monitoring by their parents.
- Birds of prey (hawks, falcons) are much better and more effective than cats. Crows are also useful in this sense. They do not trample the beds and do not feed on strawberries. Before visiting your site, a flock of birds sends “scouts” ahead. They will certainly inform others about those who protect your plantings, and will fly around the beds on the tenth route. However, maintaining one bird of prey is more expensive than ten cats.
- Arrange a small stream, a waterfall, or a decorative fountain next to the strawberry plantings. Birds' hearing is much sharper than that of humans; they will certainly be attracted by coolness and murmuring water. There is a chance that, flocking to the water source, they will ignore the beds. But nothing prevents them, having rested in a pleasant place, then destroy your crop.
- Place onion bulbs or onion feathers cut into several pieces on the strawberry beds. Birds really don't like this smell. The downside is that you have to endure it too. In addition, berries can also absorb the smell.
- Before the strawberries ripen, scatter bright red wooden cubes, plastic bottle caps, and so on in and around the beds. Birds will try to peck them and find out that it is inedible. When the berries are ripe, the birds, remembering the absence of anything edible here, will pay less attention to your beds.
- An option for the squeamish and strong-willed. Find a dead bird somewhere, bring it to your own plot and hang it next to the strawberry beds. This will help you get rid of birds not only for this season, but also for the next few years. It looks rather unaesthetic, in no way decorating the rural pastoral, and the smell is appropriate.
- Placing poisonous baits on the site or total shooting of birds. An extremely unfortunate decision, even if you have the appropriate skills to prevent accidental hits on relatives, guests and neighbors, and the absence of pets, which can also be poisoned. Few people think about this, but in addition to the visible harm in the form of crop destruction, birds also bring significant benefits to the garden. In addition to berries, they feed on insect larvae and weed seeds. Now we have to fight them. By destroying birds, you will deprive insects of their natural enemies, increasing their population significantly, and also doom yourself to endless weeding. This will require even more time and effort.
The time for ripening berries is gratifying for the gardener. Birds who want to feast on the cherry or cherry harvest are no less happy. There are several humane ways to protect your berry crops from uninvited guests. Here are some of the best and most popular
1. Strips of any shiny tape(it can be completely foil or with pieces of foil glued), fluttering in the wind, scare away birds. Birds do not like the shine of the ribbon, its “snake-like” moving appearance, and they avoid visiting areas with such decorations.
Alternatively, you can use an unnecessary CD by threading a string through the hole and hanging the discs around the area.
Pros: This method is guaranteed to repel most birds, especially in the first few weeks. In addition, shiny CDs will enliven the landscape, releasing sunbeams.
Cons: If the birds are very hungry, then shiny things will not be a serious obstacle. In addition, in the end, the birds will get used to these bright objects and go to feast on trees and bushes.
2. Fine mesh, stretched over your berry bushes and small fruit trees, will prevent birds from diving into the plantings and, accordingly, will prevent damage.
Pros: Birds will not get to the berries, and the netting is inexpensive.
Cons: Small birds may become entangled in the net and die.
3. Stuffed bird of prey (owl or hawk), installed on the site, should instill fear in the birds. At the same time, do not forget that birds are smart and cunning. To trick them, you will have to move the scarecrow to a new location every few days. However, sooner or later, the birds will still understand that in fact this owl is nothing more than a prop.
Alternatively, install a traditional “human” scarecrow with a tie made of foil tape on it.
Pros: The scarecrow will certainly add its own flavor, and will also protect the berries for a while.
Cons: Birds will understand that the scarecrow is not following them and will go about their business in your area.
4. Drinkers with clean water. The general theory for bird attacks on garden berry fields is that the birds are hungry. But that's not true. They may peck at berries in search of water in hot weather to quench their thirst, as the berries have a high water content. By placing birdbaths in your backyard, you will provide them with an alternative. This technique works even better if you can add the sound of running water using drip irrigation.
Pros: You will see a wide variety of birds in your yard. Many of the birds dine on insect pests.
Cons: Birds may not bother looking for insects for food, but simply dine on your berries.
5. Installing feeders next to drinkers. The principle is the simple idea that if you feed the birds, they will leave the berries alone.
Pros: Like the waterer idea, attracting birds to your garden will help control insect pests.
Cons: If you forget to fill the feeder, hungry guests will immediately turn their attention to the juicy berries nearby.
6. Having a radio in your garden will create enough noise to scare away raiders.
Pros: The noise scares away the birds - the task is completed.
Cons: A radio playing all day can be quite annoying to your neighbors who have come to relax in silence. Then, as with the foil tape and the scarecrow, smart birds will realize that the noise is completely safe for them.
7. One of the most reliable and proven ways to drive away birds is the use of repellents. For example, a modern repellent has been tested in a wide variety of green areas, including airports, where the presence of birds is undesirable for objective reasons. As a result, the birds left the territory without harm to themselves and others due to the unpleasant odor.
Pros: After one procedure of treating the area, you get rid of the need to become a scarecrow or a volunteer to save hungry birds. Also, you don’t need to terrorize your ears and the ears of your neighbors by endlessly listening to the radio or hanging CDs around the property.
Cons: There are no cons.
Regardless of which method you use, remember that protecting berries from birds depends largely on the berry ripening window. If you already know the timing of crop ripening and prepare in advance for the invasion of birds, then your chances of preserving the harvest will increase significantly. And by using these methods, you will be able to coexist with our feathered guests, who so easily turn from enemies to friends.
