Every raspberry grower looks for a bountiful harvest. Unfortunately, you find the birds eyeing the same harvest.
And the birds put a lot of effort into harvesting. In a few days, they can wipe out the whole of your raspberry garden or a commercial farm. Each year more than 25% of the raspberries are destroyed by the birds.
The good news, you can use many ways to protect your raspberries from birds.
But before we look into the ways, let see the losses brought by birds.
Bird Cause Damages to Raspberries
Birds will not resist ripened raspberries. And they bring with them many damages to your raspberries:
- Knock off raspberries when they are eating and hopping.
- Leave partially or wholly eaten raspberries
- Peck and puncture your raspberries
Which Birds Eat Your Raspberries
The raspberries are tasty and nutritious to many birds. And you will find the birds everywhere in commercial orchards and farms and gardens.
Well, not all birds are interested in eating your berries. But watch out for the big bird especially pigeons. They eat the whole of your raspberries. Small birds for example finches peck and puncture your berries.
Other birds to be spotted feeding on your raspberries include
- Robins,
- starlings,
- Warblers
- Thrushes
- Baltimore oriole.
- Blue jay.
And many more!
Protecting Your Raspberries from Birds
There are many ways to protect your raspberries from birds. Here are the main ways:
Use Reflective Flash tape to Scare the Birds
The birds are scared away by this reflective tape. Flash Tape is a highly reflective, glossy material that is used to drive birds away from outdoor settings.
Flashing tape and other shiny materials flutter in the wind. All of this activity provides the impression that there is a lot going on near the tree to birds flying overhead. Pest birds will typically err on the side of caution and avoid the unknown, which can keep them away from fruit trees and gardens.
Pros
- Cheap
- Environmental friendly
- Unobtrusive
Cons
- If the birds are hungry they will risk going near the tape
- Birds learn to ignore the flash tape over time
Erect Scarecrows to Act as Fake Predators
You need to have fake predators like human snakes or birds of prey placed near the raspberries. And they won’t go near them. You can also buy this scarecrow from stores. You also have to keep on moving this scarecrow after few days. Eventually, the birds are clever enough to figure is just that.
Pros
They can scare many birds and do good work.
If some parts work it will work better
Cons
The bird will realize the scarecrow is fake, ignore and eat your raspberries
You can move it frequently to delay this which is some work
Have a Birdbath to Quench Their Thirst
It is considered that most birds are thirsty, which is why they raid your raspberries for juice. If you provide a water source for birds, they may ignore your raspberries. If you can add the sound of water falling through a fountain, that will be even better.
Pros
This will attract all of the birds, with some of them feasting on the insects
Cons
If the birds happen to be hungry, they will still eat your raspberries
Construct Bird Feeders
Birds may be enticed to ignore your raspberries if you provide them with food. Place bird feeders near your raspberries, and the birds will flock to them rather than your crops.
Pros
Can aid in the control of insect infestations.
Cons
- Birds will come to your raspberries if your feeders aren’t kept full.
- The bird feeders will attract more birds to your compound.
- Outside berries can be consumed by birds
Grow Enough for You and Birds
It’s good to be aware that you’ll suffer losses. Simply plant enough for yourself, with a little more for the birds. Everyone will be pleased if the arrangement works.
Pros
At the very least, you’ll get raspberries if you plant more.
Cons
There’s no assurance the birds will stick to the arrangement and eat only their fair portion.
Install Bird Netting
Bird netting is a foolproof way to keep your raspberries safe from birds. Scaring birds’ techniques will work for a few days to keep birds away from your crops. Exclusion, on the other hand, is the most effective approach. If birds are stealing the berries from your raspberry bush, use netting to keep them safe.
Birds won’t be able to eat your berries if you drape the nest over them.
Floating cover frames can protect berries from birds.
Raspberries are covered with netting, which is a fabric textile mesh net. Your berries will be safe because the bird will not be able to get them. After being denied entry, the birds migrate to another location to try their luck.
Plus, your netting will shade your fruit.
Pros
- Bird cant reach most of your raspberries
- Bird netting is not expensive and will sort your for years
Cons
- Small birds may get inside the netting if you don’t get the right mesh size.
- Berries on outside may be eaten
Choosing Your Method of Protecting Raspberries from Birds
Any approach you use will almost certainly yield some results. Although, thus far, the best approach is to cover your fruit with bird netting. Don’t be concerned before the berries begin to ripen; only after the berries begin to ripen should you be concerned.
You just install the bird control net. The net is easy to install and comes with needed accessories. You can buy from your store, Eyouagro, or import from China. And this is an environmentally friendly method.
Conclusion
One of your main tasks when growing raspberries is protecting them from birds. There are many ways to protect against birds. But none beats bird netting. Without protecting your raspberries from birds, you will incur heavy losses.
It takes time and effort to grow raspberries. Keeping your berries safe from birds is one of the most important jobs. There are a variety of ways to keep the birds away, but bird netting is the most effective. You can lose a lot of money if you don’t use protection.
Nobody enjoys waiting for birds to reap where they have never sowed. Consider all of your efforts. Use bird netting to protect your raspberries. Plus, you’ll have a better chance of heavy harvest.
EyouAgro is a global agriculture netting firm that is eager to assist you. EyouAgro has a large netting manufacturing facility that can produce a variety of netting goods and accessories. Before placing your order, we will also provide you with a free netting sample. In addition, we provide technical assistance and expert guidance on how to install our netting products.
To find out which netting protection is best for your farm, contact us at info@eyouagro.com, or purchase online at www.eyouagro.com
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