Birds and Cherries
 

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...)

Birds and Cherries
 

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...)

There used to be a tree in my neighborhood that would have a metal "bird cage"
over the tree (15-20 feet high) every spring, with a bird-net mesh pulled over
it. Without such a contraption, I suspect it would be very hard to so cover any
but the smallest trees.

Birds and Cherries
 

On 6/4/2015 11:09 AM, Bob F wrote:
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...)

There used to be a tree in my neighborhood that would have a metal "bird cage"
over the tree (15-20 feet high) every spring, with a bird-net mesh pulled over
it. Without such a contraption, I suspect it would be very hard to so cover any
but the smallest trees.


Netting works and best to have a whole tent of it over the tree. I
imagine that birds would peck through it on any cherries it touched.

I know of some Amish that have a large blueberry patch, maybe an eighth
of an acre, and the whole thing is screened over, tall enough to walk
under. Neighbor used to put cages around his blueberries.

Birds and Cherries
 

Thanks guys, I'll have to weigh my options including time spent climbing up and around the tree to put up and take down nets. I considered blasting owl and red tail hawk noises at the tree but the neighbors might protest after a while.

Birds and Cherries
 

On 6/4/2015 1:09 PM, Michael Evangelista wrote:
Thanks guys, I'll have to weigh my options including time spent climbing up and around the tree to put up and take down nets. I considered blasting owl and red tail hawk noises at the tree but the neighbors might protest after a while.

I had a nice cherry tree but it was too big to net. I had trouble
picking the cherries.

One son was unhappy about having it outside his bedroom window as birds
woke him up early.

It got diseased and I had to cut it down. Do not miss it.

Birds and Cherries
 

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

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Corporate propaganda is their
protection against democracy

Birds and Cherries
 

On Thursday, June 4, 2015 at 10:59:59 AM UTC-4, 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...)

Rubber snakes and/or hawk/owl decoys work to a degree especially if they are 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)

Birds and Cherries
 

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