In recent years, birds have become a real disaster for summer residents. As soon as the side of the strawberry turns red, it immediately becomes an object of encroachment by birds. And what can we say about the massive ripening of berries!
Strawberries are considered one of the most beloved and labor-intensive berries to grow. To get a good harvest, it requires special care: feed in the spring and after fruiting, pluck off the tendrils that grow in incredible quantities by leaps and bounds, water in dry weather, remove old yellowed leaves, trim the foliage after harvesting. In addition, it is necessary to update every 3-4 years so that the variety does not degenerate and the berries do not become small. Having spent a lot of effort caring for strawberry beds, naturally I would like to get a good return, but an invasion of voracious birds can confuse all plans. Moreover, they choose the ripest berries or those that are reddened on one side. There have been especially many birds lately. If a whole flock arrives, there is a chance that you will be left without any berries. Gardeners are forced to save their strawberry plantings from birds as best they can. We offer several ways to protect strawberries from birds.
This is a very effective way. As soon as the berries begin to turn red, you need to throw it on the garden bed. The birds don't see, and the neighbors don't envy. To harvest strawberries, you need to pull out the stakes on one side, collect the crop and hide it again from all eyes.
This is the most effective method of scaring away birds and protecting berries. However, there are a number of disadvantages here. Firstly, such a grid needs to be found somewhere. There is not always a suitable one on sale. Then, when the harvest is ripe, the net can be removed for a while. Well, what if you just want to eat a few berries from the garden? It is not very convenient to open the mesh every time. And from an aesthetic point of view, a bed of strawberries covered with a net doesn’t look very good.
A very interesting way is to scare away birds using old and unnecessary DVDs or CDs or cut-up strips of foil. To do this, holes are punched along the edge of the disks, twine is threaded, and then everything is hung next to the beds. Shiny objects moving in the wind, shimmering brightly in the sun, scare away birds.
Another way to protect strawberries from birds with your own hands is to make a rattle. You can make it from any unnecessary objects that can make noise when colliding with each other. For example, tying empty beer cans together. In the wind they will rattle loudly and scare away birds with the noise. But what if there is no wind?
Let's look at how to protect strawberries from birds (photo above) using a garden scarecrow. There are great opportunities for creativity here with the whole family. You can put old unnecessary clothes on a frame made of two boards knocked together in the shape of a cross. Then fill it with straw or old newspapers. Most often, a garden scarecrow is given the appearance of a person, but sometimes it is made in the form of a bird of prey, which will scare away birds and protect the crop. The most effective garden scarecrows are those in which something moves as it sways in the wind. There are very funny kits on sale that consist of a plastic eagle owl and a CD recording of the sounds that this bird makes. This double effect does a good job of repelling birds.
Among other methods on how to protect strawberries from birds, there are various traps from which you can later release the birds away from the garden, and all kinds of chemical means of protection. Stores also sell electronic devices that make sounds audible only to birds. They scare them away from the garden. Another way to protect strawberries from birds? You can simply turn on the radio on the site - loud sounds are good at scaring away birds.
And the last way to protect strawberries from birds (photo) is to plant more strawberry bushes so that there are enough berries for both you and the birds. This is the best method; unfortunately, it is not possible for owners of small plots.
Blooms strawberry. This means that soon, very soon, the first berries will ripen. And here many gardeners will be faced with the problem of how to protect their strawberry plantation from voracious birds. Especially if there is a forest near the site, where the birds feel very at ease. I encountered the same problem a few years ago. . They swoop down on the strawberry beds in a whole flock and choose the largest and ripest berries! I started looking for a radical way that I could do with my own hands for protecting strawberries from birds.
I read a bunch of literature. I found a lot of offers there. The most radical method, which is mostly proposed, is to cover the strawberry plantation with a fine mesh. A good, effective method, but it has a number of disadvantages. We need to find such a grid somewhere. What you need is not always on sale. Then, when enough berries are ripe for picking, the net can be removed for a while. What if you decided to just eat a few berries from the garden? It is inconvenient to open the mesh every time. And aesthetically, a bed of strawberries covered with netting doesn’t look very good. It is proposed to place a scarecrow in the beds. But our birds have long chosen the shoulders of this stuffed animal to look for sweeter berries. Another way is to hang empty cans in pairs. When there is wind, they will rattle and scare away birds. And when there is no wind? In one place I found a very interesting way to scare away birds using old CDs! You need to punch a hole along the edge of the old disk, thread the twine and hang it all next to the beds. The discs shimmering in the sun will scare away birds. I wonder where I can get a bunch of old CDs? Well, I have two or three. which you won’t mind making holes in.
And this method gave me a rather simple idea. Well, it was invented and done. I placed small pegs, about a meter high, at the ends of the beds. He pulled the twine between them. Then I rummaged through the box of Christmas tree decorations. I think almost everyone has such a box in a treasured corner of their home, waiting for the next New Year's holiday. And I found an interesting thing. Christmas tree rain! Long, narrow strips of bright, shiny polyethylene. In! I tied the raindrops to a stretched twine and began to observe. And it worked! The rains are very light and at the slightest movement of air they begin to “move” and sparkle. The robber sparrows flew in a couple of times, circled and circled, but did not dare to land. That's all. I didn’t see any other birds on the site. And our strawberry beds looked festive and elegantly decorated until the fall. 
With the onset of heat, strawberries began to ripen in the Vologda region. Immediately, gardeners had a problem - voracious birds.
There is no way to save me from these blackbirds! - exclaims Vologda resident Olga Alexandrova. - Every morning I start by driving them away from the site. The berries have to be checked constantly. The berry is ripe, you gape a little, and the birds immediately peck it. I would shoot them all with a blowgun, but you can’t kill birds, there are fines for that.
How to protect crops from bird invasion? The head of the crop production department of the Department of Agriculture of the Vologda Region, Vitaly Gudkov, answered this question to a Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent.
There are many ways,” says Vitaly Viktorovich. - I myself use strips of film. I drive pegs along the bush, stretch the wire and hang pieces of plastic film on it. This method has not failed me for several years in a row. I use covering material specifically for strawberries. It's better to use number thirty. Plants receive enough heat and moisture, and they ripen faster. You need to stretch it over the entire ridge and press it along the edges with bricks. If it is, for example, currants or gooseberries, then you can simply cover the bush with covering material. Some people use an old curtain instead of store-bought covering material.
Among other methods less suitable for summer residents, Vitaly Gudkov named bird netting and various repellers.
In the case of mesh, it has to be sewn together, since it is sold in narrow strips. And besides, the birds manage to peck the berries from under it. This is also one of the most inhumane methods; birds often get stuck in the net and die.
Bird scarers are, of course, an interesting thing,” continues Vitaly Gudkov. - There are several types of these devices. There are bioacoustic electronic devices - these devices reproduce cries of distress and alarm recorded from individuals in distress. In addition, they use the calls of birds of prey - hawks, eagles, falcons and owls, which they make during the hunt. And there are ultrasonic devices - they are universal and work on almost all birds.
These very convenient technological achievements have only one, but significant, disadvantage - price.
But various bottle jars and colored bags were not included in our list. According to experts, birds quickly get used to them and stop paying attention to them, so it’s better not to waste your energy. The same applies to the scarecrow.
Tatyana Zakharova, an experienced gardener, shared her method with Komsomolskaya Pravda.
I always fought with birds, no matter what I tried, but three years ago kind people recommended a good method. Birds are afraid of white color, so I drive pegs around the bed, and tie regular twine on them, always white. I stretch it over the entire bed in any shape. Birds fly up, but do not dare to peck the berries.
What method do you use to protect berries from birds? Share your experience with Vologda residents.
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.
Minuses: 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.
Minuses: 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.
Minuses: 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.
Minuses: 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.
Minuses: 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.
Garden crops and their fruits are of interest not only to the owner of the site, but also to birds. To minimize the damage that the latter can cause, today there are a lot of effective methods and options that allow you to preserve the harvest without radical measures regarding the destruction of uninvited guests.
Strawberries are held in special regard by gardeners, so they are cultivated everywhere, not only in open ground, but also in greenhouses in regions where their cultivation is impossible due to climate conditions. In the latter case, there is much less risk of losing the harvest, since the berries are reliably protected due to their placement inside the greenhouse. As for the garden, there are quite a lot of people who want to eat strawberries. Sparrows, starlings, crows and many other species of birds quite often visit vegetable gardens and orchards, consuming not only ripe Victoria, but also unripe fruits.
As a result, summer residents who are irregularly present on their plots, and land owners who permanently live nearby, have to take measures to preserve the harvest. And since this issue has been relevant for decades, the owners of berry crops have a large arsenal of all kinds of effective methods to protect strawberries from birds and protect their harvest.
Summer residents and gardeners, along with folk remedies, use modern options, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most effective methods are modernized, the less effective ones are forgotten.
Most often they resort to covering the beds with netting or other similar raw materials. Such materials are freely available in markets and supermarkets; in addition, the selection of products allows you to choose a product to suit every taste. As practice shows, if you cover berry bushes with a plastic or metal mesh, the honeycombs will not become an obstacle to the penetration of sunlight, moisture and will allow insects to pollinate the crop, but will become a barrier for birds.
The cells can have different shapes, for example, a square or a rhombus, the main thing is to correctly determine the size.
Also, in order to save the beds, you can use a breathable, opaque material - Agril or Spunboard, which will hide the berries from birds and create the effect of a greenhouse inside. But in this option, natural pollination for plants will become impossible, and without sunlight, strawberries will noticeably lag behind in ripening.
The berry plantations are closed along the entire perimeter; to secure the material, pegs are driven into the ground in half-meter increments. As additional reinforcement, the raw materials are pressed to the ground with heavy objects. The tension should be as tight as possible to avoid sagging in the center. The recommended height of the structure should be an average of 20 centimeters higher than the bushes.
However, the work may be fraught with some difficulties when choosing a mesh, since the material must have maximum density, but at the same time a fine-mesh structure. You should avoid using a fishing net, since it will be ineffective in this matter.
In addition, the final cost of such a protective structure is important. If there is a need to cover a small area, then financially it will not be so expensive, but for those who cultivate the plant on an industrial scale, purchasing the material will seriously hit their pockets.
It is also worth noting that such a fence will bring some inconveniences associated with agricultural technology related to the crop, since for any work the question may arise of removing the mesh, which significantly reduces its service life.
To brighten up the negative side of the method, you can build a special frame structure using arcs made of metal or other material. This option does not require an additional foundation; the arcs are placed at a selected distance from each other based on the landing area, and a mesh is fixed on top of them. To solve the issue of comfortable maintenance work, you can think about the height of the structure, which would allow the summer resident to freely penetrate inside. This structure is seasonal in nature, so after the end of fruiting it is dismantled.
To prevent birds from becoming entangled in the net, it is still worth purchasing polypropylene material. In addition, this option has a rather attractive appearance.
In addition to using netting and covering material, planting crops near ridges that will distract the birds' attention would be a good protection. The bait can be rowan, cherry or other plants with bright fruits. However, in this case, there is no guarantee that when planting a bush or tree you can guess the taste preferences of birds.
A good humane option for protecting strawberries would be to arrange a small source of water nearby, since birds will pay more attention to it and will be attracted by the sound of flowing water. However, the disadvantage of this method is that after resting near a water source, the birds can calmly go in search of food, and still peck at the beds with garden strawberries.
A more modern way to save crops at the dacha is to use bird mordant. This method consists of treating berry plantations with special agents that negatively affect the taste of the fruit specifically for birds, but do not in any way affect humans or animals.
Various methods of scaring away birds act as a unique method of protecting strawberries.
This can be done using the sounds of birds of prey recorded on any media. This option is a win-win for owners of large plantations with berries. Nowadays there is no need to spend a long time searching for suitable audio recordings in pet stores, since audio files are freely available on the Internet.
Many gardeners prefer this option, since it makes it possible to scare away not only small birds from the area, but also rodents, which also eat the ripe berry crop.
A significant disadvantage of using loud sounds is the fact that in this way you can cause an unpleasant reaction from your neighbors, in light of which not everyone can use it. The way out of the situation will be the use of specialized electronic devices that produce low-frequency sounds that do not cause discomfort in humans, but have an effect on birds.
If birds eat berries in the garden beds, you can resort to using tape from old cassettes to scare them away. A stretched film in the form of a web on the site, with its shine from the sun, will help discourage those who want to feast on the fruits. In addition to the visual effect, the film will make sounds in the wind, which will also discourage birds from visiting the area.
A similar result can be achieved if you place any other shiny and rustling objects in the garden, for example, pieces of foil or cellophane bags. It will be enough to hang them on trees near berry crops.
You can also choose CDs or DVDs as objects on the surface of which bright and repellent glare from the sun's rays is created.
A proven way to combat bird infestations is to install a scarecrow. You can do it yourself. To do this, you need to connect two boards with a cross, which will act as a body. You can simply make a head from a bag or sack filled with lightweight material, such as newspapers. Having connected all the parts, you can put unnecessary things on the scarecrow and draw a face or put on a mask.
The disadvantage of such a “guard” will be that birds will get used to it quite quickly, as a result the stuffed animal will become a place for birds to be placed in the garden. To avoid this, the scarecrow can also be supplemented with bright accessories in the form of the same disks or ribbons, which will move in the wind and make sounds that are guaranteed to scare away the birds. Some more advanced summer residents and gardeners specifically purchase stuffed animals of large birds of prey for installation in the garden, which can make frightening sounds. Similar specimens can be purchased at garden stores.
Rattles or bells will also serve as a deterrent. You can make similar ratchets yourself. Any unnecessary things will do for this, but it is better if they are made of metal. Homemade rattles can be made from tin cans. Such things will make quite a lot of noise, which will help drive out the birds, but the disadvantage of this method is that they can only function in windy weather.
Sometimes bells are placed in areas, but their sound will become a nuisance for the birds only for the first time; gradually they will get used to it and stop reacting.
While studying birds, scientists noticed that they are wary of the color white, so gardeners often wear light-colored textiles near strawberry beds. Sometimes branches of trees growing in the garden are tied with white film or pieces of fabric. As color options for scaring away birds, flags painted bright blue or red are used, which are usually placed between rows.
Another homemade item that allows you to save your harvest is making windmills from plastic containers. If you add elements to such mills that produce sounds during movement, moving multi-colored blades and noise are guaranteed to bring the expected result. In addition, such items can become a decorative element to decorate the garden. The downside of the products will be that birds quickly get used to such things in the garden.
The list of items and inventions that gardeners use to scare birds away from their crops is quite large, so we can highlight the most effective of them.
The work scheme consists of the following sequential actions.
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