Top 7 Ways to Protect Your Cherry Trees From Birds
If you’ve been planting cherry trees for a while, you’re probably aware that cherries are a favorite food of many birds. You’ve probably even asked yourself: how do I protect my cherry tree from birds? Even if the birds do not consume all of the cherries, they will harm some of them, causing them to decay or be devoured by insects. Birds can be especially troublesome if you have a lot of cherry trees.
You can keep birds away from cherry trees by supplying them with fresh water and an alternative food source. You can also employ a physical barrier, such as bird netting, to keep birds away from the cherry trees. In addition, you can use bird repellents such as sprays, scarecrows, and noisemakers.
There are various methods for protecting your cherry trees against birds, but not all of them will work for you. If you only have one or two cherry trees, safeguarding them from birds and insects will be pretty straightforward. If you have a cherry orchard, you are severely limited in what you can do to keep the birds away. Still, with some creative thinking, you can remedy the problem.
Birds are essential to a cherry orchard because they safeguard the cherry trees by eating bugs. However, many birds will eat the cherries as well.
How do I Protect my Cherry Tree From Birds?
Give the Birds Water
Most birds would rather eat a few cherries on hot summer days than fly a few kilometers to the nearest watering source. A bird waterer, for example, will deter birds from eating cherries due to their high water content. Although you cannot entirely remove the problem, you will significantly limit the number of birds that go after the cherries. Place the bird waterer in a shady area and remember to replenish and clean it regularly.
Alternative Found Source
Birds are simple creatures, and they will prefer an easy and accessible food supply over searching and foraging. As long as you supply highly nutritious food for the birds, they will stay away from the cherry trees. Just don’t forget to provide them with water. Determine which birds are eating your cherries, and then look up their favorite food on the internet. Remember that the more food you supply, the more birds will visit your orchard.
Install Netting Around Cherry Trees
If you have a big cherry orchard, bird netting is one of your best options. Place bird netting on top of your cherry trees, ensuring birds cannot enter from below. Some birds will continue to nibble at the cherries on the tree’s outside perimeter, so you may still see some injured cherry trees. Check your trees for pests, as some will thrive behind the netting because they are sheltered from birds.
Here’s some high-quality and inexpensive bird netting that I’ve used on a few of my trees in the past.
Put up a Scarecrow
Birds are at the bottom of the food chain, which means they have a lot of predators and are quickly scared off. I’m not saying you should put up a scarecrow, though it may work for some. My advice is to employ scarecrows resembling avian predators such as snakes, cats, and birds of prey. Use sculptures or scarecrows of the most frequent birds of prey or snakes that feed on birds that you may find on Google.
Make sure to rotate these scarecrows as the birds will become accustomed to them and no longer be terrified of them. Birds will pay more attention to moving objects, and the best part is
If you don’t want to make one, here’s a great scarecrow that I recommend
Use a Noisemaker
Noisemakers frighten away birds by creating noise at a specific frequency that only birds can hear. Some believe that these noisemakers help them, while others report that they have no discernible effect on the birds. You must conduct some study to determine which one is the greatest fit for your scenario. Because birds hear at different frequencies, a noisemaker that operates at one frequency may or may not work for all birds.
Electronic Bird Repellent
Electronic bird repellents include a motion sensor. Once activated, it will perform a specific function, such as making loud noises, spraying, and so on, depending on the type of electronic bird repellent you purchase. Although electronic bird repellents work, they are only effective if you have a few cherry trees and not a vast cherry orchard.
Classic Bird Repellent
Brid repellant sprays include particular compounds that birds dislike, and they will generally avoid the area. There are also organic bird repellent sprays on the market that are effective. The bad news is that rain quickly washes away these bird repellant sprays, and even if it doesn’t rain, you’ll still need to treat the area at least once a month.
Here’s the highest reviewed bird repellent that’s safe for cherry trees.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, numerous strategies are for keeping birds away from cherry trees. However, not all of them will work in every situation. Make sure to research which birds are causing a problem and concentrate on keeping them away.
Here’s our guide on finding the perfect land for homesteading. It’s a great place to grow cherry trees!
FAQ
How do I protect my cherry tree from birds?
The best way to protect your cherry tree from birds is to give the birds an alternative water and food source. Put a birdbath and feeder in an area of shade nearby and birds will flock to it.
