How To Keep Animals Away From Blueberry Bushes
Last updated on May 29th, 2022 at 09:00 am
If you lot abound berries, then you likely accept experienced the misfortune of heading out to your garden but to find that birds and other pests accept stolen your harvest. Information technology truly a battle of gardener vs nature. Luckily there are several simple, inexpensive and humane ways to defend your garden and protect your blueberry bushes from animals.
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Which Animals Eat Blueberries?
Unfortunately, humans aren't the but ones who love juicy blueberries. According to Garden Guides, at that place are a host of wild animals that will happily snip blueberries or devour other parts of a blueberry bush, including:
- Deer
- Birds
- Bluebirds
- Cardinals
- Catbrids
- Robins
- Mockingbirds
- Mourning dives
- Wild turkeys
- Rabbits
- Foxes
- Skinks
- Bears
- Squirrels
- Mice
- Opossums
- Chipmunks
Whew – that'south a lot of competition!
20 Ways to Protect Blueberry Bushes from Animals
Fortunately, there are several options for defending your blueberry bushes from neighborhood birds and pests. These 20 methods are divided into these 4 categories:
- Concrete Barrier
- Scare Tactics/Decoys
- Repellant Spray
- Hospitality
All of the below methods volition give yous some success in protecting your blueberry bush. But equally described below, some accept been proven to exist more constructive. And there are pros and cons to each.
Note that these strategies to protect blueberry bushes from animals work on other drupe bushes – strawberry, raspberry, etc.. Heck, about of these also work your entire vegetable garden. I've used a couple of these, with varying successes, and intend to endeavor out more.
Likewise annotation that some animals are beneficial to your garden. For example, birds swallow insects that can actually be more harmful to your garden. And so consider a balanced approach in defending your garden and permit some animals in to enjoy the benefits.
Ane last annotation (and transparency). For reader's ease, I've added products with Amazon links. I have not personally tried these products, but placed based on favorable reviews. If yous try one of these products, I'd beloved to hear your experience!
Physical Barriers
While all the below methods protect blueberry bushes, physical barriers tend to be the most fool-proof in keeping out animals. Still, information technology can be the most expensive choice.
ane. Netting
Simply mantle netting over your drupe bushes and plants to foreclose pests from getting at them. Simple yet effective.
We tried this method a few times, but ran into a few issues. For example, the first year nosotros didn't drape and secure the netting to the ground. And that immune chipmunks and birds to become correct under the bush-league and access the berries. The 2d year we used mesh with too-big opening which allowed the birds to accomplish correct in and option berries.
UGH!
2. Cages
Only the following year, we finally figured it out. We took the netting method up a level. Afterwards our failures with draping netting, nosotros decided to build a elementary DIY muzzle for our blueberries. We built the muzzle using PVC piping, covered it with mesh and secured with garden staples and zip tags. The directions can be found here.
And I'k happy to study that we are going into flavor iii with this muzzle and it's still going strong!
But if you don't want to become the frugal DIY muzzle route, there are some gorgeous options – popular-upwardly tents, row cover frames – at garden centers.
Scare Tactics
Decoys and scare tactics are a fun grouping of shiny, noisy, moveable objects that startle and frighten off birds and pests. Here the concept is the animals believe there is a potential predator well-nigh your blueberry bushes and stay away.
Several of these scare tactics bring a fun pattern element into your garden. Yet, birds and pests are smart animals and chop-chop catch on that these objects won't actually hurt them. So y'all must be vigilant about moving them around the garden to keep animals on their toes.
3. Scarecrows
Time to get click your heels three times and get your Wizard of Oz on.
If you're super organized (not me) and call back ahead (again, non me), pick up a scarecrow during the fall in your local garden supply shop. Or you tin easily just make your ain scarecrow. What I peculiarly similar about the scarecrow idea is that they add a scrap of fun and quirkiness to your garden.
Unfortunately, birds and pests will somewhen figure out that your scarecrow isn't a danger and their conviction to pick over your berries will return. To keep the birds guessing, move the scarecrow to a new position in your garden every week. A few tips:
- Ensure information technology is lightweight to easily movement
- Add together a tie or accessories that will flutter in the breeze for extra scare
- Alter the scarecrow's outfit or accessories to keep birds on their toes.
iv. Plastic Snakes
I'm petrified of snakes – like freeze-in-my-tracks petrified. Then this method to protect blueberry bushes from animals is my very least favorite. It's just not happening in my garden.
Just if you are braver then me, placing plastic snakes around your garden can help end birds and pests from attacking your berry bushes.
Apply snakes with brighter colors so they are easy to spot, BUT however expect realistic. The best time to identify them is correct before harvest fourth dimension and then that the birds and pest don't go also used to them so before long. And similar scarecrows, y'all must keep to relocate them effectually the garden.
5. Plastic Owls
For a more "furrier" decoy choice, consider placing a plastic owl above your berry bushes in an obvious location. I haven't tried this tactic, simply if I did, I'd want ane with a moving head and light-upwardly eyes. I that would scare my kids AND the animals!
Unfortunately, like other scare tactic, these owl decoys need to exist moved at frequent intervals. So be mindful of moving them on a weekly footing. This chore might be a good family chore. Laissez passer this job around your children to increase their responsibility and lighten your workload, plus inspire a future generation of gardeners.
six. Terror Eyes Airship
Earlier I wrote this post, admittedly I have never heard of terror optics balloon. And afterwards seeing one of these online I completely empathise how this would work to protect berries from birds and pest. Forget the birds, I'K scared of the terror eyes balloon! 😂
This decoy is a large, inflatable vinyl 3-D balloon painted with bright colors and "fierce" features to mimic natural predators like falcons. It's lightweight so it moves hands in the air current, adding to the scare factor.
Once inflated, install terror eyes balloon overlooking your berry bushes. Birds or other small-scale pests who happen to stop in your garden will go a fright thinking this terror eyes airship is a predator about to swoop down and gobble them up.
Plainly NASA uses terror optics airship to continue birds from the space shuttle launch areas. (older video beneath). If they piece of work at NASA, these decoys should work in our gardens too, right?
7. Pets
In improver to children helping to protect your berry bushes, it might be fourth dimension for Rover to besides work for his/her hire. If you accept a domestic dog or outdoor cat, let them roam outside to announce their presence.
Just be prepared for the consequences. Our beloved dog Dulce – all 90 pounds of her – in one case jumped up and caught a bird mid-air while most our garden. Information technology was a grisly scene I'd rather not describe….
8. Foil Tape
Moving on to a "shiny is scary" idea, attaching strips of foil record or Mylar flash tape to your blueberry bushes may frighten animals abroad.
Simply tie strips of Mylar or foil tape to the bushes, allow them shine in the sun and flutter in the breeze. Animals don't like the shine and are nervous effectually the tape'south movement and clattering sounds.
Similar other scare tactics, over time animals will somewhen catch on that it won't injure them and eventually gain the courage to approach your blueberry bushes. Therefore, you'll have to either move the tape or endeavour another scare tactic.
9. CDs or Aluminum Pie Plates
A slightly more DIY approach than foil tape is hanging CDs or aluminum pie plates. Tie some cord through some old CDs (acknowledge it, y'all don't demand those Michael Jackson CDs anymore….) or make a hole in the pie plate and hang it on a post near your drupe bushes.
Like to the foil tape, CDs and pie plates move in the wind and reverberate light in dissimilar directions. These shiny noisemakers volition offput birds and pests from feasting on your berry bushes.
ten. Garden Spinners
Shiny pinwheels reflect low-cal and create movement and noise, a trifecta of scare tactics that will brand birds and pests remember twice almost budgeted your berries. Cost of garden spinners can run the gamut – from frugal dollar store to ones specifically designed for scaring pests.
Place pinwheels around your garden so they will hands capture the wind. If they are placed in garden nooks, they won't spin and do their job!
Similar to other stationary scare tactics, be sure to move them around the garden so that animals won't recognize them as fakes. And since spinners are short, you might need boosted strategies (similar air current chimes) for larger blueberry plants.
11. Wind Chimes
Noise, noise, with a side of racket from wind chimes volition deter birds and pests from your berries. Windchimes placed in your garden non only adds a whimsy note, but also provides sounds and movement that deter animals from approaching your berry bushes.
Windchimes can run the gamut on toll, but they don't have to be expensive to be effective. Recruit your kids with DIY wind chinkle kits or use things around the house. Personally, I love these DIY ideas from HomeBNC and The Garden Glove.
12. Fancy Dancy Contraptions
If you're looking to invest money into protecting your blueberry bushes, there are some serious machines that scare away birds and other pests from your blueberry bushes.
For example, "scarecrow" move-activated sprinklers. These target larger pests such every bit deer, raccoons and rabbits. Using a motion detector, they startle pests using a sudden burst of water, noise and movement.
If you do purchase ane, only be certain you lot retrieve where y'all accept information technology. Otherwise you risk walking within the sprinkler's range, setting off the motion detector, and get doused with water.
And your neighbors are going to laugh themselves off their patio chairs….. 🤣
13. Decoy Berries
This is a very creative fashion to ward off critters from your berry bushes. One gardener decided to paint rocks to expect like strawberries and placed in her garden before her existent strawberries ripened. When the predators went for a snack, they got a huge surprise! It confused them then that they didn't render when the real strawberries were ripe for the picking.
I tin can't aid but wonder is this strategy would piece of work for blueberries besides. Pigment brushes anyone??
Repellants
This adjacent group of ways to protect blueberry bushes from animals requires applying a distasteful spray to impede animals from munching on juice berries. The main downside to these repellants is that they are washed away during rainstorms. So you must be vigilant about abiding spraying in summer rains.
14. Predator Pee
Maybe this one grosses y'all out. Maybe it doesn't. Simply the scent of urine from dogs, cats, or wolves will keep animals similar squirrels, rabbits, and deer away from your blueberry bushes.
Word of alarm – employ Effectually the bushes and NOT on the actual fruit.
Note that all repellants need to exist re-practical after information technology rains to keep a strong smell.
xv. Bootleg Concoctions
Is pee not your thing? (Don't blame you….) For a slightly more palatable strategy, try creating your own concoction with strong-smelling and/or potent-tasting foods. For case, many small predators dislike the gustatory modality of peppermint oil, vinegar, cinnamon, cayenne and garlic.
In that location are a DIY agglomeration of recipes out there, such as this combination of chili peppers, h2o and vinegar.
Pour the concoction in a spray bottle and utilise it on blueberry plants when the blueberries started to ripen. Depending on the ingredients you lot may want to but spray on the parts yous won't eat. And don't forget to reapply this solution after it rains.
Truth be told, I've tried my own DIY concoction against rabbits, but information technology wasn't terribly successful. If you attempt 1 and it works, I'd love to hear from you!
16. Table Sugar
This one relies a fleck on science but stick with me. Obviously birds tin can easily assimilate simple sugars found in fruit, but cannot hands digest more complex sugars, like table carbohydrate.
A study from Cornell University found that spraying plants with a table sugar solution significantly reduced birds from damaging blueberry bushes. They dissolved 5 pounds of sugar in two quarts of water to create 1 gallon of spray solution. (That sounds like a lot of sugar!)
Note a potential con on this method to protect blueberry bushes from animals (besides reapplication later rainstorm). Spraying this sugar solution in your garden might actually concenter insects, bugs and ants. So…. proceed with caution.
17. Grape Kool-Help
This way to protect blueberry bushes from animals surprised me. A written report from the Academy of Massachusetts plant that birds dislike the taste of a chemical compound chosen methyl anthranilate. And where tin you detect this compound commercially available?
Grape-flavored Kool-Aid
Yup, you lot read that correctly. That fruity beverage that if you are a kid from the 80s (like me) probably drank more of this than you would similar to admit…
To use, mix iv packets of grape Kool-Help in one gallon of water and spray your blueberry bush, including berries, right before harvest season. A downside is that you lot will demand to re-apply after rain.
1 matter UMass doesn't mention is whether or non spraying impacts the taste of blueberries. If you lot endeavor this method, please do me a favor and permit me know if your blueberries gustatory modality a bit differently. I'm intrigued past the concept Kool-Aid flavored blueberries….
Apparently this is a legit strategy. Wildife experts at O'Hare International Drome reportedly experimented with the grape flavoring as a mitigation measure to scare away pesky birds that otherwise endanger planes taking off and landing.
Hospitality
This last group is probably the about humane style to protect your blueberries. Instead of contesting nature, it allows you to coexist peacefully with animals visiting your yard. All the same, these tactics, if done incorrectly, could actually exacerbate the problem and bring fifty-fifty MORE animals to you garden.
18. Decoy Food
Dial up the hospitality and setup a decoy food base of operations away from your berry bushes. Encourage the birds and modest critters to feast elsewhere than your blueberry bush. Hang upwardly bird feeders. Set a feeding station with sunflower seeds and peanuts.
The concept hither? If you give them their own food, maybe they will leave yours lonely.
A note of alarm though. You might attract even more critters to your yard. Your garden may turn into the neighborhood midnight buffet, with your berries are dessert. And then proceed with caution.
19. Overplant
This method to protect blueberry bushes from animals embraces the tagline – "if you lot can't vanquish them, and then join them". In other words, you have that pests volition get at your berries and merely plant more than y'all need. They get some, you get some, and everyone moves on.
While this is a very humane way to bargain with pests in your berries, I struggle a fleck with it. I foresee underestimating how much the birds and pests will swallow. My garden will host a agglomeration of overweight animals, and I'll finish up empty handed with cypher to harvest.
20. Birdbath
Inquiry shows that when birds and small pests attack drupe bushes, they might non actually exist hungry. Instead, they might just be thirsty. And the loftier-water content in berries quench that thirst.
Placing a birdbath in your yard might shift the animals' focus away from your berries and to their truthful desire – h2o. Merely as mentioned in the previous two ways, you might finish upwardly only attracting more animals to your yard – and correct to your berries.
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Source: https://everydayoldhouse.com/protect-blueberry-bushes-animals/
Posted by: chentropir.blogspot.com
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