Open Association of Landscape Industries
Pigeons and fruit trees
It's that time of the year again - just chased a wood pigeon off one of the plum trees - it was happily pecking away at the developing buds. We have made frames for the fruit trees in the veg plot using rebar, and these will be hung with fruit cage netting, and in previous years the Gage and Mirabelle plums in the borders have been swathed in netting, but this is a faff, doesn't look great, distorts the new twigs, and makes it hard for us to get at the tree. I think I may leave them unprotected this year, though this probably means I won't get any work done in the office as I will constantly be on the lookout, and running out of the door waving my arms and shouting at the pesky varmints! Maybe I should just try and resign myself to the birds getting a % of the crop... Anyone else have any opinions, or non-netting tips?
Tags: birds, crop protection, fruit trees, pigeons
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by brian clegg on -
get a big plastic owl and stick it on a fence post next to trees. works a treat but the magpies might get noisy.
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Permalink Reply by Rose Lennard on -
thanks Brian - magpies are noisy anyway, so worth a try!
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Permalink Reply by brian clegg on
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bird of prey so everything keeps its head down. def works though.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Chris Auld on -
you could try shooting them with an air rifle.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Roy Parker on -
careful with the shooting remarks you be in trouble with the anti blood sports
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on -
Its not a blood sport if your doing it to prevent damage to a crop - its only "sport" when its done for recreation.
I lost ALL my Broad beans last year to them.... a true pest on a massive scale!
If shooting them is not your cup of tea, consider those electronic sound devices which keep all birds away by emitting a high freq sound.
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Permalink Reply by Rose Lennard on
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Having birds in the garden is a great pleasure for me so I don't want to do anything which scares them all off. In which case I guess I either have to put up with damage or go back to netting (since I don't have a gun and I think it might upset the neighbours anyway!). Shame I can't train the cats to be selective - though I think their hunting days are a distant memory now...
David Cox said:If shooting them is not your cup of tea, consider those electronic sound devices which keep all birds away by emitting a high freq sound.
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Permalink Reply by David Benson on -
anti,s are not that bothered about animals just the people that do it but thats another long heated argument and not for this forum
roy parker said:careful with the shooting remarks you be in trouble with the anti blood sports
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on -
A little optimistic (given pidgies are stupid in way that beats describing), but you could try bird feeders in a part of the garden far away from the beans? Or use a motion sensor to triger an electronic repelant... so it only repels when a bird is on the veg patch... the rest of the garden would be fine for them.
Rose Lennard said:Having birds in the garden is a great pleasure for me so I don't want to do anything which scares them all off. In which case I guess I either have to put up with damage or go back to netting (since I don't have a gun and I think it might upset the neighbours anyway!). Shame I can't train the cats to be selective - though I think their hunting days are a distant memory now...
David Cox said:If shooting them is not your cup of tea, consider those electronic sound devices which keep all birds away by emitting a high freq sound.
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