Design

How to protect Victoria from thrushes. Do-it-yourself protection of strawberries from birds

There is always a person on the Internet who will share his experience. And we will remember. And tell your ways.

I think many gardeners are faced with the problem of how to protect their strawberry plantation from gluttonous birds. Especially if there is a forest near the site, where the birds feel very at ease. I ran into the same problem a few years ago. Sparrows have come to our site. They fly into strawberry beds in a whole flock and choose the largest and ripest berries! I began to look for a cardinal way that you can do it yourself for protecting strawberries from birds.

I read a lot of literature. Found a lot of suggestions there. The most radical way, which is mostly suggested, is to cover the strawberry plantation with fine mesh. A good, effective method, but has several disadvantages. You need to find such a network somewhere. On sale is not always needed. Then, when enough berries are ripe for picking, the net can be removed for a while. And if you decide to just feast on a few berries from the garden? It is inconvenient to open the grid every time. And aesthetically, a bed with strawberries tightened with a net does not look very good.

It is proposed to put a scarecrow on the beds. But our birds have long chosen the shoulders of this stuffed animal to look out for sweeter berries.

Another way is to hang empty cans in pairs. During the wind they will rattle and scare away the birds. And when there is no wind?

In one place I found a very interesting way to scare away birds using old CDs! It is necessary to pierce a hole along the edge of the old disk, thread the twine and hang it all next to the beds. Disks 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 it will not be a pity to make a hole.

And this method prompted me to a rather simple idea. Well, it's done. I put small pegs from the ends of the beds, about a meter high. He pulled a string between them. Then he rummaged through a box of Christmas decorations. I think that almost everyone at home has such a box in a treasured corner and is waiting for the next New Year's holiday. And I found something interesting. Christmas tree rain! Long, narrow strips of bright, shiny polyethylene. In! I tied the raindrops to the stretched twine and began to observe. And it did work! The raindrops are very light and at the slightest movement of air they begin to “move” and sparkle. Sparrow robbers flew in a couple of times, circled and circled, but did not dare to sit down. And that's it. I didn't see any more birds in the area. And our strawberry beds looked festive and elegantly decorated until autumn.

In every garden plot, birds coexist with humans. Experienced gardeners are wary of such a neighborhood, as the crop on the site becomes their favorite delicacy.

First of all, you need to think about how to protect strawberries from birds. There are many measures to protect berries from birds.

Bird species to be protected from

Among the birds that settled in summer cottages, there are many who are very fond of strawberries. After their invasion, the owners are left with only bushes and pecked berries. It's nice when starlings sing in the garden, but experienced gardeners know that this is an alarming sign for strawberries. Starlings are very fond of garden strawberries, so they settle next to it. But not only this species of birds is dangerous for the crop. Sparrows, pigeons, crows, rooks and tits, as well as magpies will not refuse a delicious dessert. They give preference not only to garden strawberries, but to currants, raspberries, cherries and other berries.

Winged neighbors feed only on ripe and healthy berries, so during the ripening period, entire flocks of birds raid the orchards. If no action is taken, the berries will be completely destroyed.

Specialists and summer residents themselves have come up with many ways to protect the strawberry crop.

Protection methods

Experienced gardeners, even during the flowering period, begin to take care of the crop, carrying out preparatory activities. Berries can be protected by the following methods:

covering materials, such as mesh;
brilliance and brightness of objects placed on the site;
toys that make loud noises
simple scarecrow;
electronic deterrent devices;
planting plants that are more attractive to birds than strawberries;
other fixtures.

These protection methods can be used singly, but their combined effect is more effective.

How to protect from birds with a net

Netting is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your strawberry crop. It is made of plastic or metal with very small cells. The mesh prevents the invasion of birds on the plantation, but the sunlight, heat and moisture passes perfectly. Moreover, such a shelter provides unhindered access to the plant of pollinating insects. In the presence of a grid, you can safely carry out top dressing of plants. A net is installed around the perimeter of the strawberry beds, pegs are driven into the ground 35 cm higher than the plants, and the net is pulled over these pegs. You can build a frame on the principle of a greenhouse and also cover it with a mesh. When harvesting, the net is raised and then closed again.

Shine and brightness of objects placed on the site

As shiny and bright objects, you can use old CDs, video cassettes. They, as well as the ribbon taken out of them, are hung in the garden in sunny areas. In windy weather, a web of ribbons will create movement and rustle, thereby scaring away birds. Advice. Alternative items for placement on the garden plot can be foil, Christmas decorations, plastic bags.

How to protect with toys that make loud noises

You can make a loud toy with your own hands using improvised means. They often use empty tin cans, tying them together and attaching a mirror to them. For birds, the illusion of bright shine and roar will be created. Some Feng Shui items are excellent for these purposes, for example, “wind music” or metal pipe bells. But you need to understand that these objects will scare away only for a while, then the birds get used to them. The disadvantage of the method is that it can only protect in windy weather, and the constant noise can bother the summer residents themselves.

How to protect berries with a scarecrow

The scarecrow is an old and effective remedy for birds. Create it the size of a human growth. They knock down two planks or sticks crosswise, of which the long one serves as the body, and the short one with the hands. Straw or other improvised means are stuffed into the bag - this will be the body of the scarecrow. They dress him in human clothes, which are unnecessary and old.

The result is a motionless frightening object, to which birds also get used. Therefore, experienced gardeners supply it with additional accessories, for example, tie rattles, shiny children's turntables to it. A noisy and bright scarecrow will serve as a reliable guard for the strawberry crop.

Electronic scare devices

At present, a number of electronic type deterrent devices have been invented. They help to effectively protect berry plantations from birds. Of course, on the one hand, this pleases gardeners, but on the other hand, it is alarming, because then you will have to fight against harmful insects alone. For example, summer residents themselves will have to save strawberries from ants.

The included recordings of the voices of birds of prey, which, in turn, are effective in the fight against rodents, also help to fight birds. But such control measures must be coordinated with neighbors, because they may be unhappy with the constant noise in neighboring areas.

In recent years, ultrasonic repellers have often been used. They can protect strawberries and have a negative effect on birds, which are very uncomfortable with the frequency of the sound. But for the human ear, it is absolutely elusive.

Planting Plants More Attractive to Birds Than Strawberries

One way to protect the crop is to plant plants that are more attractive to birds than strawberries. Among them are all varieties of mountain ash, sea buckthorn or sweet cherry. This method is not considered the most efficient, as it causes crop losses to other plants, but reduces damage to the strawberry crop.

How to protect strawberries with alternative methods

The presence of an artificial pond or waterfall on the site is considered quite acceptable. This will attract birds to the garden, but for drinking water. And they will fly to the neighboring areas to have a bite to eat.

Summer residents like to hang white ribbons on trees, believing that birds strongly dislike the light color and its movement. But in fact, the color can be anything, only necessarily bright. Repels more tape movement. It is recommended to hang them on closely growing trees.

Onions, chopped and laid out between strawberry beds or hung on trees, do a good job of scaring away.

Advice. The most natural-based way to scare away birds is to have a cat on the site. He will not be able to catch all the individuals, and this is not necessary, but, of course, he will scare them to scare them.

The use of chemical bird control or cruel shooting is not recommended, because birds provide an invaluable service in the fight against insect pests of horticultural crops. The use of rough control measures is justified only in case of a massive invasion of birds on the crop of cultivated plants. But this is acceptable only in rare cases.

It is best to establish good relations with such neighbors by providing them with year-round food in special feeders, where you can sometimes put delicious strawberries. And the birds will repay with kindness and quality work, for example, getting rid of the May beetle larvae, which cause irreparable harm to garden plants.

By applying humane comprehensive measures aimed at protecting strawberries from birds, it is possible to maintain a full-fledged harvest of berries and good neighborly relations with birds.

Strawberries (and more precisely, garden strawberries) are grown by gardeners and gardeners wherever the climate allows. This is a very tasty berry. Unfortunately, this is known to both people and birds. Starlings, thrushes, sparrows, magpies, and even crows will gladly eat both ripe and unripe berries. Summer residents, especially those who do not live on the site permanently, have nothing left. Therefore, it is important to know what can be done to protect the strawberry crop.

How to protect strawberries: mesh and covering material

The most common solution is to cover strawberry beds with a net or covering material. All this can be purchased at construction, agricultural stores or on the Internet. Plastic, polypropylene or metal mesh with cells in the form of rhombuses, rectangles and squares does not interfere with access to sunlight and moisture to plants, as well as the process of pollination of strawberries by insects.

The grid for beds is presented in stores in the widest range

Breathable opaque covering material (Lutrasil, Spunbond, Agril, Agrospan) provides a greenhouse effect. Birds do not see berries, respectively, and do not seek to get into the garden. But pollination in a natural way in this case is impossible. Without the sun, strawberry bushes do not grow well, the berries ripen longer, the yield decreases. With excessive watering, rotting of plantings is possible.

Covering material allows you to hide the crop from birds

Closing the bed, pegs are driven in at intervals of 45–50 cm along the perimeter, onto which the material is fastened so that it descends to the ground. There it also needs to be fixed, for example, with bricks. They are pulled tight enough so that the mesh does not sag in the center. The height of the structure is 15–20 cm higher than the strawberry bushes.

Video: how to fix covering material on the garden bed?

Indeed, it is problematic for birds to get to the berries in this case, but the solution is not without drawbacks:

It is necessary to find a sufficiently dense fine mesh. Ordinary fishing will not work. Birds freely enter the cells. If the mesh is too thin, it will simply break. Therefore, finding the right material can take a lot of time and effort.
Question price. If you have a small plot and 1-2 beds, you should not even think about it. And those who grow strawberries on an industrial scale must purchase hundreds of square meters of covering material and netting. It turns out to be quite difficult.
Planting care becomes much more difficult. It is also impossible to walk through the garden, picking a couple of berries along the way. With any weeding, loosening, fertilizing, watering, harvesting, the mesh and material must be removed, and then the bed should be covered again. Such frequent use drastically reduces the life of the material - holes are formed, which are immediately expanded by birds.
Birds that see delicious berries do not consider the net a serious hindrance. In an effort to reach them at all costs, they become entangled and stuck in such a way that they cannot free themselves from the cells without outside help. People have to help. Birds do not appreciate this and bite painfully.
An important factor is aesthetic. The mesh just thrown over the beds looks very messy. So, you need to think about how to fix it beautifully. This means additional expenditure of effort, time and money.

The mesh stretched over the beds interferes with the normal care of strawberries and harvesting

The purchase of a set of special frame arcs made of metal, plastic or bamboo can partially offset the shortcomings. They are quite light, so no foundation is required. Their number depends on the length of the beds. The optimal distance between the arcs is 60–80 cm. They must be installed and the grid must be fixed on top - a structure should be obtained that resembles a section of a tunnel. If you find high enough arcs, you can go inside, like in a greenhouse or greenhouse. This greatly facilitates the care of plantings and harvesting. But the beds are very narrow.

When fruiting is over, the mesh is removed, and the frame is dismantled until next year.

Therefore, the best solution is a mesh made of plastic, fine-meshed (so that birds do not get confused), rather rigid (so that it does not sag), fixed on frame arcs. Separate pieces will be needed to cover the resulting "tunnel" from the ends. Otherwise, the design loses all meaning.

If you decide to use the mesh and arc method, the birds will not be able to get to the strawberries, and it will be convenient for you to take care of the beds.

Video: strawberry bed protection net

Box with mesh lids

Another option for protecting strawberries with a net is devoid of the listed disadvantages, but requires certain practical skills. If you have experience in carpentry or joinery, build boxes with mesh covers for planting.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

Choose boards of suitable length and width.
Assemble a wooden box with cross lintels every 60-80 cm, fastening the boards with screws and corner bars. It is not necessary to make it very high - ventilation is deteriorating, the berries do not have enough sun. It is enough that the future cover does not touch the landings. Other parameters are determined by the size of the beds.
Attach legs from short bars to the box in each corner, sharpening them from below. If the bed is very long, you will need additional legs on the long side. Since the legs will be driven into the ground, treat the tree with a special compound that prevents rotting. You can just burn them.
Set the box on the bed and drive the legs into the ground, gently tapping on the corners with a hammer.
Protect the structure from the negative effects of natural factors - rain, snow, cold, wind. A primer will help with this. It is sold in hardware stores, but the composition prepared by yourself is no worse. 1 kg of slaked lime should be diluted in 2 liters of water and 100 g of laundry soap shavings should be added. All this is thoroughly mixed and filtered immediately before processing the boards.
Focusing on the dimensions of the resulting sections, assemble frames for covers from thin bars.
Attach the covers to the frame with hanging loops installed on the outside so that it opens outward.
Cut out pieces of mesh of the desired size and fasten it with staples using a furniture stapler, bent small nails, thin slats.
Attach a handle, a loop or something else to each lid, allowing it to be opened freely.

The beds in the boxes look very neat and securely protected.

What can scare the birds?

Any methods common to the people are not very useful. In the first few days, the effect may be noticeable, but the birds are not stupid and quickly figure out what they are dealing with. Finding that there is no real danger from something scary-looking, they boldly continue to destroy your berries.

Birds flying into the garden in flocks can destroy your crop in a couple of days

Therefore, the methods described below should be alternated and combined as often as possible. Only in this way will you achieve a more or less permanent result.

Scarecrow

"Grandfather" method, used since time immemorial. At present, the classic effigy of two cross-shaped poles or boards, dressed in old clothes stuffed with straw, with a bag depicting a head, is practically not used for quite obvious reasons. Birds are not at all afraid of him. On the contrary, on the “shoulders” of this structure, they are happy to relax after a delicious dinner. It is also a great position for looking out for the most delicious and ripe berries.

But your children will get great pleasure from the process of building a scarecrow. For them, this is a great opportunity to show imagination and creativity. As a basis, you can use, for example, an old mannequin.

If you still decide to protect your beds with a scarecrow, regularly rearrange it from place to place and change its appearance. The more radical the better. It is also useful to fix the structure so that it rotates on a support.

Scarecrow - a traditional, but ineffective method of scaring away birds

Somewhat more effective are plastic and rubber naturalistic models of birds of prey sold in agricultural stores, made in compliance with dimensions and proportions. Especially if they are “decorated” with something shiny and they are accompanied by a device for reproducing and recording the sounds made by these birds.

An electrified mannequin equipped with a motion sensor would greatly help gardeners and gardeners, which, when birds approach, would begin to make sounds and, for example, wave their “arms”. But the introduction of such structures into production is a matter of the future. And the price will be appropriate. On small personal plots, such a “scarecrow” simply will not pay off.

Video: how to make a scarecrow?

Noise

The hearing of birds is much more subtle than that of humans. Therefore, they do not tolerate sharp loud sounds. Try to save the beds like this:

Stretch several threads or thin wires over them and hang cans close to each other at different heights. A more aesthetic option is “wind music”. At the slightest breath, the jars and tubes will swing and hit each other, making noise. But you will have to endure it too. This is especially "pleasant" late at night or early in the morning. And every day you can quickly get tired of removing cans and hanging them back. In addition, the wind does not always blow.
Every day, turn on special audio recordings that reproduce the calls of birds of prey or the cries of feathered "pests", signaling danger to relatives. They are sold in gardening stores and online. If you want to save money, just turn the radio up loud. However, such a soundtrack will most likely not please your neighbors.

Color and shine

High posts are driven into the corners of the beds. A thin rope or wire is stretched along the perimeter and crosswise at different heights. Hang on it:

Old CDs and DVDs. Fluctuating under the gusts of wind, they reflect the sun's rays, discarding the "bunnies". But in cloudy weather, birds almost do not pay attention to them.
Unnecessary Christmas decorations, “rain” and tinsel, ordinary foil, as well as polyethylene or cellophane cut into “fringe”. The beds in this case look elegant and festive. But if you overdo it with "decorations", it is almost impossible to care for them.
A tape removed from an audio or video cassette. It can be hung in the form of a fringe and additionally pulled tight around the perimeter, surrounding the bed several times. The tape not only shines and moves, but also makes a rattling sound unpleasant for birds at the slightest breath. It is almost on the verge of ultrasound, therefore it is almost inaudible for a person.
Bandages, white ribbons, flags and balloons filled with helium. There is an opinion that birds do not like white color and are afraid of it. The balls can be given an even more intimidating look by painting something resembling an eye in red, blue or black paint.
Homemade turntables from plastic bottles. Plastic reflects light, and the structure rotates in the wind. It can be a spectacular addition to garden decor.

Birds quickly realize that all this glitter and rustle does not carry any real danger.

Old disks hanging over the garden glare in the sun, scaring away birds.

Special devices

Science does not stand still, so special devices that scare away birds have appeared on sale. Most often, they are equipped with a built-in infrared or laser motion sensor, therefore they turn on only when a feathered landing approaches.

The devices emit high-range sounds that are unpleasant for birds, indistinguishable by the human ear.

The device is equipped with a motion sensor.

There are also devices that periodically make loud sharp sounds, reminiscent of the howl of a siren, claps or shots. Sometimes this is complemented by flashing or glowing. On some, you can adjust the frequency and volume of the sound.

The sonic gun emits loud noises when birds approach

Such devices are certainly effective, but they are quite expensive. Therefore, the owners of small personal plots do not even consider the possibility of such an acquisition. The harvest is not worth it, there are less costly methods to protect it.

Video: how to scare away birds

What to plant for distraction?

Gardeners who sympathize with Greenpeace, IFAW and other wildlife organizations can offer birds an alternative food source.

A row with strawberry beds is planted with berries that ripen at about the same time as strawberries, the loss of which will upset you less. It can be bird cherry, sea buckthorn, shadberry, chokeberry and red mountain ash, wild cherry. The method does not guarantee anything. Birds are not obligated to eat only the berries intended for them. It is very likely that they will destroy both them and the strawberries. But not a single feathered one will suffer. Even morally, seeing the berries and not being able to get to them.

Other ways to protect berries

Cats in the garden will help you deal with uninvited guests

How else can you protect the harvest grown with such difficulty?

The easiest way is to increase the landing area. So there will be enough berries for both the birds and you. But not all summer residents are ready to share with the "freeloaders" the crop, for the cultivation of which so much time, effort and money have been spent. In fact, almost no one is ready, except for some fanatical nature lovers.
Get a cat, preferably several. Or at least periodically lure neighbors or stray animals to you. To do this, you can, for example, plant valerian. Hunting, as a rule, turns out to be unsuccessful, but the very fact of the presence of natural enemies on the site will make the birds be less arrogant. A significant disadvantage is that animals that are carried away by the process of catching birds can strongly trample the beds. And not just with strawberries. In addition, the presence of wild cats and small children on the site at the same time means the need for constant surveillance of them by their parents.
Birds of prey (hawks, falcons) are much better and more effective than cats. Ravens are also useful in this sense. They do not trample the beds and do not eat strawberries. Before visiting your site, a flock of birds sends "scouts" ahead. They will certainly inform the rest about those who protect your plantings, and will fly around the beds on the tenth road. However, the maintenance of one hunting bird costs more than a dozen cats.
Arrange a small stream, a waterfall next to the strawberry plantings, put a decorative fountain. The hearing of birds is much sharper than that of humans, they will certainly be attracted by coolness and murmuring water. There is a chance that, flocking to the water source, they will ignore the beds. But nothing prevents them from resting in a pleasant place, then destroying your harvest.
Arrange onions or onion feathers cut into several pieces on strawberry beds. Birds do not like this smell very much. The downside is that you also have to endure it. In addition, berries can also absorb the smell.
Before the strawberries ripen, scatter bright red wooden cubes, plastic bottle caps, and so on around the beds and next to them. Birds will try to peck at them and find that they are inedible. When the berries ripen, the birds, remembering the absence of anything edible here, will pay less attention to your beds.
An option for the squeamish and strong in spirit. Find a dead bird somewhere, bring it to your own yard and hang it next to the strawberry beds. This will help you get rid of birds not only for this season, but for the next few years. It looks rather unaesthetic, by no means decorating the rural pastoral, and the smell is appropriate.
Laying out poisonous baits on the site or total shooting of birds. An extremely unfortunate decision, even if you have the appropriate skills to exclude accidental hits on relatives, guests and neighbors, and there are no pets that can also be poisoned. Few people think about this, but in addition to the visible harm in the form of crop destruction, birds bring significant benefits to the garden. In addition to berries, they feed on insect pest larvae and weed seeds. Now we have to fight them. By destroying the birds, you will deprive insects of natural enemies, increasing their population at times, and also condemn yourself to endless weeding. This will require even more time and effort.

In recent years, for summer residents, birds have become just a real disaster. Only the barrel of the strawberry turns red, and it immediately becomes the object of encroachment by birds. And what can we say about the mass ripening of berries!

Strawberries are considered one of the most beloved and labor-intensive berries to grow. To get a good harvest, it needs special care: feed it in the spring and after fruiting, cut off the mustache that grows in incredible numbers by leaps and bounds, water it in dry weather, remove old yellowed leaves, cut 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 energy caring for strawberry beds, I would naturally like to get a good return, but the invasion of voracious birds can confuse all plans. Moreover, they choose the most ripe or reddened berries from one side. There have been a lot of birds lately. If a whole flock arrives, then there is a chance to be left completely without berries. Gardeners are forced to save their strawberry plantings from birds as best they can. We offer several ways to protect strawberries from birds.

Use of covering material

This is a very efficient way. As soon as the berries begin to turn red, you need to throw it on the garden. The birds do not see, and the neighbors do not envy. To collect strawberries, you need to pull out the stakes on one side, harvest and again cover from all eyes.

Net

This is the most effective method of scaring away birds and protecting berries. However, there are a number of disadvantages here. First, such a grid must be found somewhere. There is not always a suitable one on sale. Then, when the crop is ripe, the grid can be removed for a while. Well, if there was a desire to just eat a few berries from the garden? It is not very convenient to open the grid every time. And from the aesthetic side, a bed with strawberries covered with a net does not look very good.

Other ways to protect strawberries from birds

A very interesting way is to scare away birds with the help of old and unnecessary DVDs or CDs or cut strips of foil. To do this, holes are pierced along the edge of the disks, twine is threaded and then everything is hung next to the beds. Brilliant objects moving from the wind, shimmering brightly in the sun, scare away birds.

Rattles to 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 items that are capable of making noise when colliding with each other. For example, tie empty beer cans together. In the wind, they will rattle loudly and scare away the noise of birds. What if there is no wind?

garden scarecrow

Consider how to protect strawberries from birds (photo above) using a garden scarecrow. There are huge opportunities for creativity for the whole family. You can put on old unnecessary clothes on a frame made of two boards knocked down in the shape of a cross. Then stuff 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 while swinging in the wind. There are very funny kits on sale, which consist of a plastic owl and a CD recording of the sounds that this bird makes. Such a double effect repels birds well.

Among other methods of how to protect strawberries from birds, there are various traps from which birds can be released further away from the garden, all kinds of chemical means of protection. Also, stores sell electronic devices that make sounds that only birds can hear. They scare them away from the garden. How else to protect strawberries from birds? You can simply turn on the radio on the site - loud sounds scare birds well.

And the last way to protect strawberries from birds (photo) is to plant more strawberry bushes so that you and the birds have enough berries. This is the best method, it is, alas, impossible for owners of small plots.

Delicious juicy strawberries are liked not only by people. Unfortunately, whole flocks of birds come to feast on the fruits. It is impossible to be on duty at the garden indefinitely, so you need to figure out a way to protect strawberries from birds. There are several ways to protect: mechanical and with the help of various repellent devices.

Regarding the effectiveness of the latter, the opinions of summer residents differ. Yes, and there are a lot of ultrasonic bird repellers. We will advise proven and relatively cheap ways to protect strawberries from birds.

Options for protecting strawberries from birds

To protect strawberries from birds, you can even use old tulle or some transparent fabric.

film or agricultural shelter not suitable for greenhouses, because the temperature under it will be too high, you will have to make ventilation holes. And birds will fly through them and still destroy the strawberry crop.