Blueberries are a desirable crop for home gardeners, offering sweet, antioxidant-rich fruit. Unfortunately, birds consider ripening blueberries a prime food source. A flock of birds can rapidly decimate an entire harvest. The most reliable protection methods focus on physical exclusion and strategic deterrence, ensuring you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Creating Protective Barriers
The most effective strategy for preventing bird damage is physical exclusion through netting. This barrier blocks access to the ripening fruit. Simply draping a net over the bushes is insufficient, as birds can still reach and peck berries through the mesh if the material rests directly on the plant.
Establishing a structural framework, such as a cage built from PVC pipe, metal conduit, or wooden posts, is necessary to keep the netting elevated above the blueberry bushes. This framework should be tall enough to allow the bushes to grow and provide space for easy work during harvest.
Mesh size is important. While a larger 3/4-inch mesh is often used, a smaller mesh, such as 1/4-inch, is recommended if the netting is draped directly onto the bushes. Once the net is draped over the frame, secure the perimeter firmly to the ground. Using sod staples, bricks, or boards to seal the bottom edge prevents birds from hopping, walking, or tunneling underneath the barrier.
Employing Sensory Deterrents
Non-physical methods rely on a bird’s natural wariness, using sight or sound to make the area seem unsafe or unappealing. Visual deterrents, such as holographic or iridescent tape and reflective streamers, create sudden flashes of light and movement that disorient birds. Placing fake predator decoys like plastic owls or hawk silhouettes may also initially deter feeding.
Auditory deterrents include noise makers, distress call devices, or ultrasonic emitters. Devices that broadcast species-specific distress calls or predator sounds can be effective in the short term, triggering a fright response. However, birds are intelligent and quickly learn that these sensory distractions pose no genuine threat, a process known as habituation.
Because of habituation, these sensory tools are best used as a temporary measure or as a supplemental tactic alongside physical barriers. Combining visual and auditory deterrents can extend their effectiveness compared to using only one type.
When and How to Apply Protection
The timing of installation is important. Protection must be installed before the fruit begins to ripen and change color, which is when the fruit becomes attractive to birds. If installation is delayed until the berries start turning pink or blue, birds may have already established a feeding pattern that will be much harder to break.
For netting, the frame and barrier should be fully in place after the flowers have been pollinated and the fruit has set, but while the berries are still green. Installing the netting too early can prevent pollination, while installing it too late means losing a portion of the crop.
To maintain the effectiveness of sensory deterrents, rotation is necessary to prevent birds from becoming comfortable. This involves moving visual decoys or changing the pattern of auditory signals every few days. Regular maintenance of physical barriers is also important, requiring a periodic check for tears in the netting or gaps along the ground seal, especially following strong winds or storms.