Protecting Blueberries

[jgedmond]

We have a small blueberry plot of about 12 bushes - southern varieties. The plants are not huge as they have only been in the ground for 1 - 3 years. Last year we used bird netting to protect from bird robbing. It worked well, but was a pain to duck under for harvesting and caught quite / killed a few snakes / birds over the season.

Looking for what others have found to work to protect their young blueberries plants from birds.

 

[goeduck]

We have a small blueberry plot of about 12 bushes - southern varieties. The plants are not huge as they have only been in the ground for 1 - 3 years. Last year we used bird netting to protect from bird robbing. It worked well, but was a pain to duck under for harvesting and caught quite / killed a few snakes / birds over the season.

Looking for what others have found to work to protect their young blueberries plants from birds.

I am curious on this as well. I have 4 bushes planted last year and want to expand to 8. Subscribing.

 

[KTurner]

We have a row of blueberries that was probably planted 30-40 years ago and has basically formed into a hedge. I tried netting one year but it didn't work well. New growth would grow through the netting and tangle it. One year I tried an owl decoy. The animals still eat some. I do think that the blueberries are protected from squirrels by being out in the open and having a healthy hawk population. In the end, there's really more blueberries than I can harvest so it doesn't bother me if nature takes a share.

 

[Ford850]

We have a row that's maybe 50', and after years of attempts using netting, we almost perfected it last year. I'll skip all of our 'failures' and get to what we'll do this year that I think will be our best and final solution. First, we now have 8' T-posts, driven approximately 1 1/2' in the ground, spaced 10' apart down each side of the row. The rows of posts are at least a couple feet wider than the widest berry plants so nothing interferes with the bushes and we can walk around them all. We leave these posts in permanently, but take down the netting at the end of the berry season.
We add 2' of chicken wire along the bottom of the T-posts, keeping the bottom couple of inches of it flat on the ground to guard against rabbits. Around the top of the T-posts, we wrap a single strand of 3/8" poly rope. That's tied at one corner post, then pulled tight to the next post, wrapped once around the top edge maybe 1" down, and then to the next post and so on until it's a complete loop around the top.
Then comes the light weight bird netting. First around the sides and one end, with the other end able to flap open for a door. We clip the netting with a few clothes pins on the top rope, overlapping the top rope, and along the bottom wire fence. Then we flop a top layer on it, letting it overlap the sides by 1 - 4' depending on the mesh we have. We remove those first few pins on the top rope and then put them back on over both layers of mesh (side and top layer).
The overlapping top seems to keep a better enclosure without worrying about a perfect fit. The chicken wire eliminates the rabbit damage to the lower netting.
I got carried away with the describing the details, and this whole process of adding the mesh takes us minutes to install once a year just before the berries ripen. It's so much better now, being able to walk through and around the bushes without bending and stooping, or pulling the mesh free from the branches.

 

[RalphVa]

We have a small blueberry plot of about 12 bushes - southern varieties. The plants are not huge as they have only been in the ground for 1 - 3 years. Last year we used bird netting to protect from bird robbing. It worked well, but was a pain to duck under for harvesting and caught quite / killed a few snakes / birds over the season.

Looking for what others have found to work to protect their young blueberries plants from birds.

I find the birds are not really a problem. The real problem is squirrels. Once they discover the berries, they eat EVERY ONE of them, ripe or not. Best protection for blueberries is total enclosure to stop both the birds and the squirrels. That's the only thing that really works.

Oh, I remember now what I used last season. I bought a pellet gun and used a hav-a-hart trap (same size used on ground hogs, fairly large) and baited it with some peanut butter on a paper plate. Caught a squirrel or two and shot them with the pellet gun. I'd normally give ground hogs lead poisoning with my 410, but the 410 kinda blows a squirrel apart. If you have the patience, you can sit with a shot gun (my dad would have used a 22, but they travel too far if not aimed towards the ground) and wait for the squirrels to come get them. Only need to take out 1 or 2, and the rest get the message. Used to do this when I had peach and plum trees in front of the house.

Have tried a temporary electric fence in the past, baiting with peanut butter on aluminum foil strips. Didn't work that well. Just advertises to the squirrels that there is something there to protect.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

We have a row that's maybe 50', and after years of attempts using netting, we almost perfected it last year. I'll skip all of our 'failures' and get to what we'll do this year that I think will be our best and final solution. First, we now have 8' T-posts, driven approximately 1 1/2' in the ground, spaced 10' apart down each side of the row. The rows of posts are at least a couple feet wider than the widest berry plants so nothing interferes with the bushes and we can walk around them all. We leave these posts in permanently, but take down the netting at the end of the berry season.
We add 2' of chicken wire along the bottom of the T-posts, keeping the bottom couple of inches of it flat on the ground to guard against rabbits. Around the top of the T-posts, we wrap a single strand of 3/8" poly rope. That's tied at one corner post, then pulled tight to the next post, wrapped once around the top edge maybe 1" down, and then to the next post and so on until it's a complete loop around the top.
Then comes the light weight bird netting. First around the sides and one end, with the other end able to flap open for a door. We clip the netting with a few clothes pins on the top rope, overlapping the top rope, and along the bottom wire fence. Then we flop a top layer on it, letting it overlap the sides by 1 - 4' depending on the mesh we have. We remove those first few pins on the top rope and then put them back on over both layers of mesh (side and top layer).
The overlapping top seems to keep a better enclosure without worrying about a perfect fit. The chicken wire eliminates the rabbit damage to the lower netting.
I got carried away with the describing the details, and this whole process of adding the mesh takes us minutes to install once a year just before the berries ripen. It's so much better now, being able to walk through and around the bushes without bending and stooping, or pulling the mesh free from the branches.

Would like some pictures.

Ralph

 

[skipperbrown]

We have about 20' of blueberry bushes. I trim them to about 5' in height in the fall. We wait until the berries are almost ripe and pull netting over them. We use 4' wide netting and put 4' on both sides where it meets at the top of the bushes. Once the berries are gone, I remove the netting. Since the netting is only on for about a month, growth through the netting is minor and it lifts off without much effort. For serious picking, we dip under the netting and let it drape over our backs. We still lose probably 10% of our berries to birds, but we lost 90% when we didn't use anything. The lower part of the netting is about 3' off the ground and this helps prevent entanglement of birds and snakes.

 

[CADplans]

I have a ~50 foot garden hose,, cut into 3 to 5 foot lengths,, some of the lengths are over 7 feet, those are easier to toss into the trees,,
I toss them on the bushes a week or two before the fruit is ripe, the birds do not risk the "new intruder"

Do not expect it to work for long, get out each day, and pick,,,

We use the same hose lengths for the cherry tree, and raspberry bushes also, all the plants come in at different times.

The hoses did not protect the grapes, neither did netting,,,

Crows take my corn seeds if left unattended,, this shiny owl from eBay stopped the crows,,

 

[RalphVa]

I've used a fiberglass, real-looking, owl that I put up on a post. It seems to deter the birds. Don't really get much damage by birds.

Also put out a lot of rubber snakes. Something that flies has attacked almost all my rubber snakes and ripped their heads off in some cases. Hoping maybe it's something big enough to catch the squirrels, which are the real pests. Below are some pics capturing them with the wildlife camera. The camera is a good thing for nailing down what is eating your stuff. Of course, it has caught me a few times, too, but you do not want to see me.

Ralph

 

[Alan W.]

Mine come in a bit later than the lower varieties and that helps with the birds.
I wish I could net mine but some are at 11 feet tall. Usually there is enough for us and the birds.
I tried the owl decoy and the peckerwoods decided it would make a great house.

 

[Diggin It]

I bought a pellet gun and used a hav-a-hart trap (same size used on ground hogs, fairly large) and baited it with some peanut butter on a paper plate. Caught a squirrel or two and shot them with the pellet gun. I'd normally give ground hogs lead poisoning with my 410, but the 410 kinda blows a squirrel apart. If you have the patience, you can sit with a shot gun (my dad would have used a 22, but they travel too far if not aimed towards the ground) and wait for the squirrels to come get them. Only need to take out 1 or 2, and the rest get the message.

And then he adds ....

"The natural gardener
God's original intent"

Unbelievable.

 

[Jstpssng]

Not blueberries but grapes; I never used to get much of a crop because of the birds and squirrels. I had a big piece of Remay Johnny's Selected Seeds worked for a while, but after a few years the sun took it's toll. About 6 years ago I moved my henhouse and built a fenced in run about 10 feet away, leaving just room enough to make a couple of passes with my mower. Oddly enough I haven't had a wildlife problem in my grapes since.

 

[mapper]

I use a couple of strips of flash tape run above the row, pulled tight with a couple of twists so any small breeze makes it flash. We have found that red and silver works better than just silver.
A bigger problem for us were deer and rabbits eating the tender shoots and twig ends. Solved that with a low board fence (24") lined with sheet metal topped with a five foot welded wire fence. The fence is good for tying off the flash tape.

 

[goeduck]

We have a row that's maybe 50', and after years of attempts using netting, we almost perfected it last year. I'll skip all of our 'failures' and get to what we'll do this year that I think will be our best and final solution. First, we now have 8' T-posts, driven approximately 1 1/2' in the ground, spaced 10' apart down each side of the row. The rows of posts are at least a couple feet wider than the widest berry plants so nothing interferes with the bushes and we can walk around them all. We leave these posts in permanently, but take down the netting at the end of the berry season.

I also would like to see some pictures. Sounds effective. :thumbsup:

 

[Molalla1]

I've used a fiberglass, real-looking, owl that I put up on a post. It seems to deter the birds. Don't really get much damage by birds.

Also put out a lot of rubber snakes. Something that flies has attacked almost all my rubber snakes and ripped their heads off in some cases. Hoping maybe it's something big enough to catch the squirrels, which are the real pests. Below are some pics capturing them with the wildlife camera. The camera is a good thing for nailing down what is eating your stuff. Of course, it has caught me a few times, too, but you do not want to see me.

Ralph

Ralph those pesky vermin, no wonder we decided to eat them (shoot them to keep them out of the garden) and well . . .

on edit: have not had one of grandma's squirrel stews, well for ages and ages . . .

 

[jgedmond]

Wow, lots of good ideas. Thank you to all who responded.

Because we have several varieties, the fruiting season extends over 6 - 8 weeks. I should have mentioned that the bushes are within a 6' wire fenced area that keeps out large critters like deer and hogs, so I am more concerned with rodents and birds. I have not noticed any squirrels bothering the bushes, perhaps because they are in an open area and we have a healthy hawk population. Mice could probably hide out in the ground or mulch and do some robbing without the hawks getting them.

I guess that I was mainly wondering if the flashy or rotating or predator / raptor decoy stuff worked. Those would sure be easier to deploy than the netting over T-posts like last year.

Well I have some new things to try this year!

 

[goeduck]

^^^^ I also planted for a long season. Early variety, Mid season, Late season and Late, Late season.

 

[dragoneggs]

We have 4 mature plants. Transplanted from our old place about 10 years ago and are now about 15 years old. They are flourishing in their current locale against the house. Good heat (western exposure) lots of water from roof runoff. Lots of peat moss and we throw down young fir branches as mulch (for the acidity) in the fall.

The four plants arranged in a square, yield plenty of fresh berries for our family and we freeze a bunch over winter. Since it is against the house we use only two 8ft T posts and wrap the sides and top with bird netting and zipties. Around the base we use some heavy duty plastic mesh to dissuade the rabbits. I fabbed a somewhat rigid partial frame that allows us to enter the anti-aviary for picking.

For some reason the chipmunks/squirrels don't bother that area. I guess they are busy on the other side of the house with plenty of cones/seeds from the fir trees.

We occasionally catch a clever bird that somehow finds it way through the mesh but are almost always able to free it before it dies. The one odd bird gets a feast and then panics until we liberate it. We don't notice a dent to the harvest.

 

[forgeblast]

What I did is make a blueberry cage. Drove tposts into the ground. Then bought some tpost brackets at tsc. I then took 3/4 emt and made an A flattened the ends of the emt and bolted them to the tspost brackets. I have 6 A's that are then bolted to each other to make it a sturdy structure. Bird netting will go on top, I then took hardware cloth that I hand and burried it about 6-8'' into the ground and then above that chicken wire. I have had deer, rabbits, groundhogs eat the small bushes so we went and bought a bunch (10) large ones from Blueberry Plants For Sale | Buy Blueberry Bushes excellent product btw.

 

[forgeblast]

You can see it on the right of the greenhouse.