Protecting the harvest wisely: what birds eat honeysuckle and how to scare them away
Getting a good harvest of honeysuckle is not an easy task. The difficulty lies in preserving already ripe berries from birds. Birds can become a real disaster for gardens and vegetable gardens. They swoop down on the bushes in flocks and leave only foliage on the honeysuckle. But there are simple ways to help protect the berry plant during the fruiting period. From the article you will learn which birds love honeysuckle and how to get rid of them.
Signs of birds eating honeysuckle
Bird raids are detected by the absence of ripe fruits.
Many berries remain bitten or lie damaged on the ground. At the same time, several birds sit nearby and carefully observe the surrounding situation.
What birds eat honeysuckle
Birds that eat honeysuckle include sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and magpies. For them, fruits are a source of nutrients and juice during dry periods.
It is almost impossible to find out what kind of bird eats the berries. Dozens of species of birds peck the fruits and always with virtually no residue.
How to save berries
To protect honeysuckle from blackbirds, magpies and other birds, covering the bushes, installing a scarecrow on the site and using scarers and repellents are suitable. Any method has its own rules and restrictions.
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What scares you away
First of all, birds are afraid of humans themselves, so summer residents install stuffed animals not far from the berry patch. Birds quickly get used to the stationary structure. To eliminate this problem, a stuffed animal is moved around the site every week.
The advantages of the method are temporary protection of berries, an interesting decorative element in the garden. The disadvantage is that birds quickly get used to the motionless “person”.
Reference. Experienced gardeners create a stuffed animal that is as close as possible to the human form. Add a unique element in the form of a tie made of foil tape. The element effectively repels birds, but only during windy conditions.
Bush shelter
An effective way to protect honeysuckle is to cover the bush with a net. It is thrown over the vegetation and slightly tightened from below so that the birds do not get entangled.
Advantages: lightness, access to air and sunlight for planting. However, careless use leads to the death of small birds.
Important! A mesh with cells measuring 1x1 cm or 2x2 cm is used as a shelter. This is necessary for unhindered spraying of the bush and pollination. Bees and bumblebees will not penetrate the fine mesh, which will lead to crop loss.
Traditional methods
How to protect honeysuckle fruits:
- Strips of shiny material. They create a frightening noise that reminds birds of human movement. Place the strips next to the berry patch on special stands. An effective alternative is CDs. They are hung throughout the site. The discs also protect other berry crops.
- Drinking bowls with clean water. Birds attack honeysuckle due to hunger and thirst. The sound of dripping water attracts attention well. Water bowls are placed away from bushes so that birds have no choice.
- Feeders.They work on the principle of drinking bowls. But if the gardener does not replenish supplies on time, the birds will still go to the berries.
- Radio. Birds are frightened by strange sounds, so the radio works well to scare them away. But many neighbors are not satisfied with constantly playing music.
- Repellents. These are modern drugs that have an unpleasant odor for birds. The areas are treated with products, thereby ridding them of bird infestations. The effectiveness of repellents has been confirmed by numerous tests. Use medications strictly according to instructions. The main advantage is absolute safety for humans and fruit crops.
Modern manufacturers offer many automated devices that are aimed at safely repelling birds.
The greatest demand is for ultrasonic and bioacoustic devices that produce sounds (the screams of predators) that frighten birds.
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Useful tips on the topic
To combat birds that eat honeysuckle, only humane methods are used. Traps and poisons are excluded.
Birds are offered alternative food sources. In addition to drinking bowls and feeders, experienced gardeners plant wild rowan trees, cherries, raspberries, apple trees and low-growing shrubs on the site.
It is important to harvest in a timely manner. It is good when a honeysuckle variety was chosen for planting, the berries of which ripen after being picked. Only green fruits, unattractive to birds, remain on the bush.
Conclusion
If you do not take any action to protect honeysuckle from birds, the gardener will be left without a harvest. The effectiveness of these methods has been proven by many years of practice.But the best way to preserve berries remains timely harvesting.
Watch the video: how to scare away blackbirds from honeysuckle