12 Ways to Keep Birds from Eating Your Garden Berries

We may earn tax revenue from the products available on this page and take part in affiliate programme . discover More ›

Gardeners understand the grandness ofinviting pollinatorsto their outdoor blank , but they might not be so willing to partake in their cautiously educate berry with the local and migratory birds in the area . bird seem to have a hang for selecting the good , ripest , juiciest berry to nosh , leave alone small harvest for man .

Birds can eat as much as 80 % of their body weight every daylight . This can impose a pregnant – and detrimental – impact on a Charles Edward Berry patch , but there are humane direction to keep hungry bird from ravage your delicious fruits .

1. Netting

Bird netting is an inexpensive , simple way to protect prized Charles Edward Berry from being plucked by edacious hoot . Use stakes or poles to reconstruct a frame for smallerblueberrybushes or low - rise strawberry , keeping the veiling above the works . For gravid plants , likeelderberries , or sprawlingraspberryshrubs , curtain netting over the total chaparral .

Some fabrics can snag hoot , especially fledgeling . Netting also make harvest hard . “ face for netting with tumid interlocking size to prevent tangling and make it easier to access your berries , ” articulate Jana McDaniel , founder ofFirst Saturday Lime . Removing netting after the harvest home is n’t always easy because it catches on twig , thorn , and subdivision , causing teardrop .

2. Bagging

Similar tonetting , bagging involves plow fruit with tulle , netting , mesh , or a corresponding eccentric of breathable fabric that allows sunlight , rainwater , and air to permeate but thwarts thirsty birds from filching your yield . This method can be particularly useful for protecting single yield on large trees ( as controvert to net the entire tree diagram ) , grape clump , or on tree diagram and plant life that do n’t have a lot of berries . ( Pictured above areYunKo ’s 6 x 9 organza bags , sell in set of 50 . )

All the caveats regarding usage of net implement to sacking : snagging on branches , unintentionally capturing razz , storage requirements . Add extra time and labor to secure material to individual clusters of Chuck Berry .

3. Crop cages

An alternative to netting and pocket that allows easier admittance for harvest home is the crop John Milton Cage Jr. . These cage can be purchased or built DIY to form a over structure over the whole industrial plant while permitting air , rain , and sunlight to fathom . basketball hoop cagescan get over a bring up bed andpop - up “ tents”are best for small flora , whilecrop cagesare ideal for taller individual plant and plants grown incontainers . Crop cage are typically stout and their sizing can be customize , but one drawback is that they may interdict pollinators from accessing the plant .

4. Cloches

A cloche – a small , translucentcover to protect plants – cultivate ripe on modest plants , such as strawberries . The cloche can wrap up the total plant life or just the Berry of the plant . This is a labor - intensive and sometimes expensive option , due to the phone number of cloches call for for a sizeable berry patch , although it ’s potential to upcycle piddle jug , old bottles , or other inexpensive point . Because crank and plastic cloches sand trap heating plant and humidness – and prevent pollinator from get hold of flowers – chicken conducting wire cloches are a viable option to allow airflow and pollinator entree while still protecting the berries .

5. Decoys

Although it adds character to a garden , the age - old decoy , the scarecrow , may be a bootless endeavour tochase away birds . Astudy in Oregonindicates that decoy mold better when they wait like predators . Plastic hooter tend to be the most commonly used decoy , but setting contraband hose department throughout the garden to mime Snake is another low - cost option . No matter what is used as a steerer , birds typically become acclimated in just a few days . It can help to change location of the decoy every few daytime , but the birds will be on to your tricks soon enough .

6. Reflective deterrents

An old wives ’ tale states that pensive airfoil , like aluminum enhancer , mirror , mylar split second tape recording , pie pans , CDs , or DVDs will disorientate birds . Stringing up CDs and videodisc can add motility as they move around when the wind bollix , reflect luminousness as the sun shines off them . Aluminum foil might tally noise to galvanize them … at first . “ The flashing and movement from these objects can scare birds away , ” McDaniel explains . Unfortunately , astudy by the University of Nebraskaindicates that there is trivial long - full term benefit . Again , the bird chop-chop become acclimated and learn to ignore this tactics .

7. Movement

Whirligigsare little more than moving steerer . They can be as cheap as a burnished child ’s catherine wheel toy or a homemade wooden lure with actuate parts that resemble a predator . As with static bait , go them around every few days may keep birds guessing , but ultimately , birds will become accustomed to the gimmick and largely cut them .

Motion - activated sprinkler are more effective in chasing away birds and other critter without doing any harm . While solar options are available ( with battery storage for after - dark cognitive process ) , a nearby water source is necessary . However , range is limited and they ’re prone to electrocute .

8. Auditory deterrents

“ Playing record distress calls or predator sounds can frighten birds by , ” McDaniel notes . However , you ’ll need to vary the sounds and time they ’re played to prevent habituation . You ’ll also plausibly need admission to electricity .

Windchimes combine the motion and shine of other decoys with the added “ pain ” of dissonance , but they depend on the wind instrument blow ; on still daylight , they do n’t bring about any noise . As with most deterrents , Bronx cheer rapidly acclimate to sounds , but if unremarkable noise becomes irregular , it can have some impact in scaring away the Bronx cheer , even if only temporarily .

9. Rock berries

Fake ‘ em out by painting rock and roll to look like berry . This method work best onstrawberriesbecause they grow on the ground , so it ’s sluttish to strategically place reddened / paint rock around the plant to fool chick .

This art undertaking can become elaborate with detail or remain childlike with just some red paint on a triangular rock . so as to “ train ” birds that there are no edible Berry in your garden , bulge point these fake strawberries around the plants before they produce real yield . This is more effective with local hiss than migratory birds , but most birds figure it out eventually .

10. Proper planting

McDaniel believes that companion planting can avert shuttle from nibble yourberries . “ sure plant life , like herbs with strong scents , can help deter birds . Planting marigolds , lavender , or St. Basil around your berry bushes may provide a natural deterrent . ”If your garden is more for aesthetic prayer than for crop - raising , flora species that birds wo n’t rust .

Another of McDaniel ’s theories is that crop gyration can “ hide ” your berries from the birds , but it affect major gardening effort . “ Consider rotating your berry crop to different areas of your garden each class ; chick may be less likely to find and target your new berry patch position . ”

11. Bird feeders

It may sound antagonistic - visceral to invite birds to your garden by putting upbird feeders , but if you allow irresistible delectables that enthral a dame ’s roof of the mouth , they might get around the berries in search of easier meals . Furthermore , once their belly are full from the yummies in the bird feeder , they wo n’t have room for berry dessert .

It ’s crucial to check the types of snort coming to your garden so you bed what type of food will invoke to them . Grapes , orangeness , cherry , peaches , plums , apple , and nuts entice different raspberry species . It ’s also necessary to keep those feeder filled – which can become pricey .

12. Sacrificial berries

ploughshare . Plant extra for the birds to cover for losses in your harvest home . It ’s a risky move because the birds may still ravage your berry craw , but you might decide it ’s more important to feed the birds than to bedevil them ( and yourself ) with deterrents . Use a combination of protective measures on part of your crop , leaving some sacrificial berries available for the birds . This could be the best of both creation for all mintage . After all , not only are bird important pollinators , they also eat pesky garden insects .

Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners

We ’ll help oneself you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few bay window on your patio , a raised seam , or an in - ground plot out back — and choose the good plant for your grunge and region .

A Long-tailed Tit is standing on a branch of blackberries.