How do I protect my fruit from birds?

It is a beautiful but also stressful period when the fruit is back on the fruit trees. Where you first battled spring frost, you now have the challenge of keeping birds away from your fruit as much as possible In which the question often comes up:

''How can I protect my fruit from birds?''

A question that is very understandable. Due to the enormous pressure of bird damage, it is common that part of the harvest is lost as a result. Mainly, trouble from starlings is playing up more and more. Several cherry growers in the Netherlands have been in trouble in recent seasons.

5 ways to protect your fruit:

• Installing scarecrows. The problem with this is that several birds are not deterred by it. In addition, the scarecrows should be moved several times and taken off the land regularly to maintain their effect. Scarecrows are easy to make yourself, have low purchase costs and are easy to move.

• The use of banging devices works well. In some towns you require a licence to deploy these devices. Besides, at plots near a residential area, it is not appreciated by nearby residents. Birds unfortunately do get used to the sound. As a result, it is not a long-term solution.

• Bird sound systems have a positive effect. Here, the equipment mimics the sound of birds of prey, for example, combined with other sounds that deter birds. The disadvantage is that these sound systems often operate at intervals, so there is not a constant deterrent.

• Permanently closed with a bird net system. In which the system is completely closed. The system can be closed well against birds. A point of interest is to roll up and unroll the system annually and get it ready for the season.

• Rain canopy with bird protection. With the option of closing the system against birds. The advantage of this is that your cherry orchard is also protected against undesirable weather conditions such as rainfall during picking time. A disadvantage of this option is that the price is a lot higher than the aforementioned options. However, this is an investment for years to come.

There are also numerous other ways to protect your valuable fruit. In many cases, you also have to employ several workers to chase away the birds which adds up to quite a cost. In the fight against birds, it is important to have a solution that is a permanent solution. In many cases, we see in practice that in cherry growers, among others, the rain cover or bird net system provides a permanent solution to protect the cherries, berries, etc. from birds during the season.

Are you interested in learning more about canopies? Our website features extensive articles on protection by covers. In addition, you can of course also contact us by phone.