Strawberry plants are a delightful addition to any garden, offering a bounty of sweet, juicy berries that are a treat for both humans and birds alike. However, while birds can be charming visitors in your garden, they can also wreak havoc on your strawberry plants if left unchecked.
To protect your hard-earned harvest, it’s crucial to implement effective deterrents that keep these feathered friends at bay without causing them harm. As someone who loves both gardening and birdwatching, I’ve learned a few tricks to balance the joy of having birds around while still enjoying a bountiful strawberry harvest.
While it’s crucial to protect your strawberry plants, it’s just as important to do so in a humane and responsible way.
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Why Should You Keep Birds Away From Strawberry Plants?
Safeguarding your strawberry plants from birds is essential for any gardener or small-scale farmer. There are several key reasons why protecting your strawberry plants from birds is important:
• Maximizing Yield:Birds have the potential to swiftly devour a considerable portion of your strawberry harvest, resulting in a disappointing yield despite your diligent efforts.
• Prevent Damage:Besides consuming the berries, birds might also cause harm to the plants, impeding their growth and future productivity.
• Maintain Garden Health:Birds have the potential to introduce diseases or pests to your garden, posing a threat not only to your strawberry plants but also to other crops.
• Preserve Quality: Keeping birds at bay helps maintain the quality of your strawberries, ensuring they remain plump, juicy, and free from peck marks or contamination.
• Encourage Growth: Birds feeding on your strawberry plants can stunt their growth and development. By keeping birds away, you promote healthier plants that can produce larger, more abundant fruit.
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Here are the best ways on how to keep birds away from strawberry plants:
1. Netting
Easily cover your strawberry patch with netting to deter pests. It’s a fast solution that’s both simple and effective. However, placing netting directly over the strawberry plants presents some challenges. Firstly, birds may still access the strawberries on the outer edges of the plant, resulting in some losses. Secondly, plants may become entangled in the netting, leading to frustration when harvesting.
2. Cages
In my opinion, one of the best choice is to construct a support system to elevate netting (or chicken wire) above your strawberry crop. A cage can be as straightforward as securing netting with stakes inserted into the ground, or crafting a PVC frame to elevate the netting and keep it clear of the plants. There are several DIY methods to create your own cage.
3. Plastic Owls
For a more “furry” decoy alternative, contemplate positioning a plastic owl conspicuously above your berry bushes. While I haven’t personally tried out this approach, if I were to do so, I’d opt for one featuring a moving head and illuminated eyes—something that would startle both my children and animals alike!
However, like other scare tactics, these owl decoys require regular relocation. Hence, it’s essential to move them weekly. Assigning this task to your children could serve as a valuable family chore, fostering a sense of responsibility while reducing your workload.
4. Terror Eyes Balloon
Prior to composing this post, I must admit I had never come across the term terror eyes balloon. However, upon stumbling upon one online, I quickly grasped its potential in safeguarding strawberry beds. Forget about the pesky birds; I found myself intimidated by the terror eyes balloon! This decoy is a sizable, inflatable vinyl 3-D balloon adorned with vibrant colors and “menacing” features, designed to replicate natural predators like falcons.
Its lightweight construction enables it to sway easily in the wind, heightening its scare factor. Once inflated, simply position the terror eyes balloon overlooking your berry bushes. Any birds that happen to venture into your garden will undoubtedly be startled by the sight, mistaking the balloon for a genuine predator poised to swoop down and snatch them up.
5. Foil Tape
Now, let’s explore the use of shiny equals scary. Fastening strips of foil tape or Mylar flash tape to your strawberry crop can effectively deter small animals. Just affix these strips to the bushes, allowing them to gleam in the sunlight and dance in the breeze, effectively scaring pests away.
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6. CDs or Aluminum Pie Plates
Much like foil tape, CDs and pie plates sway in the wind and reflect light in various directions. Thread some string through old CDs (let’s face it, those Michael Jackson CDs aren’t getting much play these days…) or punch a hole in a pie plate and hang it on a post near your berry bushes. Alternatively, consider using outdated DVDs or vinyl records, which can also serve the purpose effectively.
7. Decoy Berries
Here’s another creative method to deter birds from your berry bushes. A resourceful gardener took the method to paint a collection of rocks to resemble strawberries and strategically placed them in her garden before her real berries ripened. When the birds swooped in for a snack and began pecking at the stones, they were in for quite a shock! The clever trickery left them bewildered, dissuading them from returning when the genuine, juicy berries were ripe for picking.
8. Garden Spinners
Gleaming pinwheels not only reflect light but also generate movement and noise, forming a potent combination of scare tactics that can deter birds and pests from venturing near your ripe berries. The cost of garden spinners varies widely, ranging from budget-friendly options found in dollar stores to those specifically engineered for pest deterrence.
Position pinwheels adorned with reflective materials throughout your garden to harness the wind effortlessly. However, ensure they’re placed in open areas where they can catch the breeze; otherwise, they won’t spin and fulfill their intended purpose!
9. Wind Chimes
Create a symphony of sound with wind chimes to keep hungry birds and pests away from your prized strawberries. Placing wind chimes in your garden not only adds a touch of whimsy but also emits sounds and motion that discourage animals from getting too close to your berry bushes. Wind chimes come in various price ranges, but you don’t have to break the bank to find an effective option. Get your kids involved with DIY wind chime kits or use household items to make your own.
10. Scarecrows
For those who are incredibly organized (unlike me) and plan ahead (also unlike me), consider picking up a scarecrow from your local garden supply store in the fall to use for the next year. Alternatively, you can easily create your own scarecrow and scatter them throughout your strawberry fields. What I particularly appreciate about the scarecrow concept is that they inject a sense of fun and whimsy into your garden.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will deterrents harm the birds?
The majority of the deterrents outlined in this guide are humane, aimed at dissuading birds without inflicting physical harm. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to adhere to instructions diligently and steer clear of any methods that might pose a risk of injury or distress to the birds.
How effective are visual deterrents like scarecrows?
While visual deterrents can prove effective, their efficacy largely hinges on their ability to move unpredictably. Birds can swiftly acclimate to stationary objects, underscoring the importance of regularly rotating and relocating visual deterrents to sustain their effectiveness.
Can I use bird netting or cages all season?
Although netting and cages offer robust physical barriers, they may inadvertently block beneficial insects and pollinators during the flowering phase of your strawberry plants. To facilitate pollination, it’s advisable to remove or open these barriers during flowering, only reinstating them once the fruit starts to develop.
How often should I reapply organic repellents?
Natural repellents such as essential oils or hot pepper sprays may require frequent reapplication, particularly after rainfall or watering. Adhere to the specific guidelines provided for the repellent you’re employing, but as a rule of thumb, reapplying every 1-2 weeks is recommended.
Will attracting birds of prey harm my other garden plants?
Birds of prey, such as hawks or owls, usually target smaller bird species and generally do not pose a threat to your garden plants. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to research and adhere to local regulations concerning the attraction of these predators to ensure compliance with legal guidelines.
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Final Thoughts
Protecting your strawberry plants from birds requires a combination of creative strategies and careful consideration. From utilizing visual deterrents like scarecrows and shiny objects to employing physical barriers such as netting and cages, there are various methods to safeguard your precious berries. Remember to prioritize humane approaches that deter birds without causing harm.