Michael Evangelista wrote:
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 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...)

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.

--
David

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