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There are several ways to save strawberries from birds in your dacha. To scare birds away from garden beds, both purchased and homemade structures are used.
What birds eat strawberries in the garden?
Among the photos of birds eating strawberries in the country, you can see both “harmful” and “useful” species. Neither sparrows, crows, nor pigeons refuse to eat the ripening berries. The beds are attacked by rooks and magpies, tits and starlings.
You can lose a crop due to birds not only after it has finally ripened, but also as the berries ripen. Birds peck at strawberries as soon as they turn slightly red. If you leave the site shortly before harvest, upon your return you may find that the beds have already been ravaged by birds.
Birds in the garden pose a danger to both strawberries and other fruit crops
How to protect strawberries from birds
There are several ways to protect strawberries from birds in your dacha. Special designs designed to repel birds are available for sale. You can also build protection with your own hands from scrap materials.
Covering mesh
One of the most convenient ways to protect strawberries in the garden from birds is to use a metal or polypropylene mesh. Small cells allow sunlight, air and moisture to pass through well and do not interfere with watering and fertilizing. At the same time, the mesh remains insurmountable for birds - birds cannot penetrate through it and damage the crop.
The method is convenient because installing the shelter is very simple - it does not take much time and effort. For example, you can drive wooden pegs around the perimeter of the beds and stretch a mesh between them at a height of about 30 cm. Another option suggests installing a metal frame for the covering material, but here you will need to spend more effort.
Plastic meshes are less reliable than metal ones, but they do not rust under the influence of precipitation
Shiny objects
If birds are pecking at strawberries, you can scare them away from the garden beds using shiny objects. Shimmering in the sun, they will create the illusion of movement, and birds will not dare to approach the plantings.
You can build a repellent structure from old CDs, New Year's rain, foil or magnetic tapes pulled from unnecessary cassettes. The latter options are additionally convenient because they produce a rustling or rustling sound when the wind blows. You need to create a kind of garland or “web” from shiny objects and hang it over the strawberry beds at a low height.
The disadvantage of shiny structures is that they dazzle the eyes in sunny weather and can spoil the appearance of the area
Scarecrow
You can scare birds away from strawberries in your dacha using the oldest and most effective method - a scarecrow. It’s not difficult to make it yourself, for this you need:
- Knock a long and a shorter stick crosswise together to get the “body” and “arms” of the scarecrow.
- Fill a bag with newspapers, straw, cotton wool or rags and place it on a vertical pole on top.
- Throw unnecessary old clothes over the “shoulders” of the structure.
The disadvantage of the scarecrow is that it gives a good effect against birds only during the first time after appearing in the garden. Then the birds get used to the motionless structure and stop avoiding it. In order for the scarecrow to constantly cope with its main task, it can be improved - decorated with shiny garlands, rustling magnetic tapes and rattles.
To make the scarecrow look more menacing to birds, you need to choose loose clothing for it - it will flutter in the wind
Rattles and bells
A variety of rattling and ringing objects help protect the strawberry harvest from birds. To protect your plantings you can:
- tie together scraps of metal pipes, fixing them so that they make a knocking noise in the wind;
- hang a garland from cans or beer cans;
- purchase bells or so-called “wind chimes” from a store that sells relaxation equipment—the calming sounds will be unpleasant for the birds.
Rattle structures have the same disadvantage as the scarecrow. Over time, the birds get used to the noise and stop avoiding the strawberry beds.In order for the protective device to continue to perform its functions, it will have to be constantly moved from place to place or modified, changing the shade and volume of the sound.
Rattles and bells are inconvenient because they only work well in windy weather
Kites
You can scare birds away from strawberries using a kite - in fact, it is a modification of a regular scarecrow. The device can be bought in a store, or you can cut it yourself from a light and volatile material. It is recommended to make the snake in the form of a large bird of prey, in which case it will better cope with its tasks.
Some time after the installation of the structure, birds may understand that it does not cause real harm, and will no longer be afraid of it. Therefore, it is recommended to use the kite together with noise repellers or special devices that imitate the cry of a bird of prey. In this case, the beneficial effect of the structure will last longer.
You can make a kite from polyethylene, paper or nylon
Electronic devices
If birds eat strawberries, you can discourage them from the beds using special electronic devices. Two options are especially popular:
- Devices that record the calls of a hawk, peregrine falcon, owl and other birds of prey. The devices are good at repelling not only unwanted birds, but also rodents from the area. The disadvantage of the devices is that loud noises are usually not very pleasant for people either.
- Ultrasonic repellers.The devices can be quite expensive, but they deter birds well and do not irritate human ears at all.
Most often, electronic devices give a good effect and allow you to protect strawberries from birds reliably and for a long time. But it must be taken into account that the complete disappearance of birds from the site can lead to problems with insect pests - there will be no one to peck caterpillars and beetles.
Sound repellers additionally equipped with bright lamps are especially effective.
Gas guns
If a bird eats strawberries in the garden, a gas gun or thunder gun can have a good effect. The principle of operation of a propane repeller is that an electric spark periodically ignites the gas-air mixture in the barrel, and the device produces a loud sound with a power of 119-130 dB.
Guns are mechanical and electronic. The former are cheaper, but they can only be controlled manually, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the devices. Electronic models allow you to adjust the frequency and response time, set single or multiple shots. For a period of time from sunset to dawn, the gun can be switched to non-operating mode so that its roar does not wake up the owners of the site or neighbors.
There is no point in buying a gas repeller for a small dacha - the purchase will be too expensive. Grinders are usually used on large strawberry plantations. When mounted on the ground, the powerful device can provide bird protection for an area of 1.5 hectares, and when raised on a stand, coverage increases to 7 hectares.
In an electronic gas gun, it is necessary to regularly change the battery and protect the control unit from moisture.
Planting berry trees
You can keep strawberries from birds in your garden by planting fruit trees that are more attractive to birds. Such crops include sea buckthorn, cherry, and rowan.
The main disadvantage of this method is that it cannot completely protect strawberries from birds. Birds may well peck berries from both trees and beds at the same time, so the damage can only be reduced.
When planting sea buckthorn or cherry specifically for birds, you will not have to collect large harvests from these trees
Which method is the most reliable?
Determining the most reliable way to protect strawberries is quite difficult. Each method has both advantages and disadvantages. In particular:
- shiny garlands and rattles give a quick effect, but it does not last long - until the birds get used to the scarers;
- sound devices help drive away birds in windy weather, but in calm conditions they are of no use;
- berry trees attract birds, but do not at all prevent them from continuing to feast on strawberries.
Of the simple devices, the most effective is a regular mesh. Theoretically, birds may try to break through it, tear the cover or get stuck in it, but in practice this does not happen so often.
Of the more expensive devices, electronic repellers bring real benefits. You will have to spend a lot of money buying them, but most likely you will be able to completely eliminate birds from your garden.
Conclusion
You can save strawberries from birds in your dacha using homemade structures or purchased electronic devices.No method provides absolutely reliable protection, but nets, sound repellers and other devices at least reduce damage to garden beds from birds. It should be borne in mind that the effect of many devices is only temporary.
