Those who love to plant fruit trees in their gardens might be upset when birds get to them. Birds can be very destructive to fruit trees, eating the fruit on them, using them for nest sites, and damaging the bark. So stopping birds nesting and feeding from trees, you might try several options. In this article, we look at how to stop birds from accessing your fruit trees and how bird netting might be the solution you want.
What Damage Birds Can Cause to Fruit Trees
The problem with birds in fruit trees is that it isn’t just the birds that cause the damage. Birds are known to peck at and eat parts of the fruit as they ripen. However, once they’ve left, wasps and bees can exploit the areas where the birds have pecked and then destroy the fruits completely.
At the same time, it isn’t just the fruit that the birds can damage. They can sit in fruit trees to rest, using their claws to damage bark. Their movement in trees can drop fruit too early, cause branches to break off, or break leaves off which can harm tree production.
In addition, the general pleasantness of the fruit trees can be ruined by bird droppings on the ground around the trees.
Why Birds Are Important
However, there are some reasons why birds are an important part of your garden ecosystem. So while they should be disrupted from eating the fruits on your tree, they shouldn’t always be discouraged.
For instance, many species of birds can eat bugs around the garden that would otherwise damage your fruit crops. For instance, they can eat snails, grubs, caterpillars, and more. They can also eat flying insects that can cause health concerns for you, like ticks and mosquitos.
So, their presence in the garden isn’t always negative. What you might want to do is to attract specific species of birds to your garden, those that won’t eat fruits but would rather eat the bugs that will eat the fruits instead.
Ways That You Can Protect Your Fruit Trees
There are ways that you can protect your fruit trees from birds in your garden. These can be very simple options, or they can be rather complex. Below is a mixture of the strategies you can use to ensure that your fruit-bearing trees are protected from the birds.
Scarecrows
An old and tested method is to have a scarecrow in your garden. These effigies of people are there to scare away birds from entering a garden by making them think that someone is in the garden.
Scarecrows can come in all shapes and sizes and can be made from items that you can find around the home, even using old clothes. Or you can buy them online.
Scarecrows can be an effective solution for a short period. But birds can often figure out that they’re not a real threat and therefore will start to move around the scarecrow.
Noise Makers
Noise makers can be an effective deterrent because they can scare birds into thinking there is a predator or threat around them. Noise makers can be relatively cheap to purchase and can last a long time. You can even find solar-powered options that don’t require any battery replacement.
Noise makers are a great, long-term solution because they rely on the bird’s instinct. However, they can sometimes ruin the pleasure of the garden or home because they will be heard by you as well. Therefore, you might need to consider other options or use them when you’re not about.
Sentinel Device
The sentinel device is designed as a three-pronged defence for gardens. It uses motion detection to create movement, and sound, and spray water to deter small animals and birds from an area. It is a highly successful device by Enivrobug that can cover a wide area of the garden.
The sentinel device is great for ground-dwelling animals/birds. Most birds will spend some time on the ground, especially near fallen fruit. But it won’t protect from birds that are solely flying tree-to-tree.
Anti Bird Netting
Anti-bird netting is one of the best ways to protect your fruit trees from birds. They use a barrier to protect your fruit trees. Therefore, birds can’t reach the branches or the fruits that are on your tree.
Bird netting for fruit trees is a very effective solution. But to be most effective, there are some general recommendations.
- Ensure that the bird netting covers the whole tree, including on the ground, to ensure that the birds can’t walk under and up into the tree.
- Do regular checks on the netting. Some animals like possums might chew on the netting.
- Ensure the net is out far enough for birds not to be able to access the fruit from the other side of the net.
The Best Solution for Protecting Fruit Trees
The best solution for protecting fruit trees is a mixture of solutions. For instance, you might want to use bird netting, as it is one of the best ways to protect fruit trees, coupled with a scarecrow and a sentinel device. If you have strawberry patches or flower gardens, the sentinel device can also protect these areas to ensure nothing is eaten by the birds.
Ensure that you are regularly checking every measure to ensure that there’s no damage.
Final Word: Bird Netting for Fruit Trees
When it comes to protecting your fruit trees from birds, you can use several methods. Above are some of the common ways that homeowners protect fruit trees. You can use these, including using bird netting for fruit trees to ensure that your fruit trees aren’t damaged by birds in the area.
Bird netting is a cost-effective solution because it can be used year-round, is generally robust, and offers a barrier that prevents birds from ever getting access to the fruit trees. But at the same time, you can combine bird netting with other protection to ensure you can enjoy the fruits from your tree.
