When it comes to gardening, few things can be more frustrating than discovering your hard-earned cherries have become a favorite snack of birds in the area. Luckily, there are several ways to discourage birds from visiting your cherry tree. Understanding why the birds are drawn to your cherry tree in the first place can help in formulating a plan to deal with them.
The most common reasons birds feed on cherry trees are availability and accessibility. Cherries are colorful and sweet, making them an attractive and easy food source for birds. Birds with short bills such as bluejays, finches, and doves are more capable of accessing cherries off the branches.
If the birds are just visiting for the cherries, it is important to baffle them from harvesting them. This can be done by placing a physical barrier of netting or wire over the tree. If the birds still manage to find a way to feast on your cherries, try sprinkling pepper, shredded foil, or waxed-paper strips around the trunk of the tree. This can discourage them from landing in the tree itself.
To further reduce the presence of birds in your yard, use repellents such as plastic hawks, owls, and snakes. While these won’t necessarily keep the birds away from the cherry tree, they might frighten them away from the area in general. Additionally, playing loud music, especially bird distress calls, are both effective, albeit less than desirable options.
If the birds are overly persistent, you may want to consider changing their source of food. This can be achieved by either adding bird feeders to other parts of your garden or in more remote areas, or by removing any existing feeders from your yard completely. Providing the birds with an alternative food source may be the best way to ensure that they don’t make a meal out of your cherry tree.
Pruning the Cherry Tree
One other way to discourage birds from eating your cherries is to prune the tree appropriately. This can be done by removing any drooping branches that may make it easier for birds to access the tree’s cherries. Pruning will likewise help make the tree look more aesthetically pleasing and prevent any unwanted diseases that may occur.
It’s important to remember that cherry trees should always be pruned while they are dormant to avoid any damage or the spread of diseases. Pruning the tree properly will help to create the right conditions for healthy, abundant cherries in the future.
Other Methods for Keeping Birds Away
Other methods for protecting cherry trees from birds may include utilizing reflective materials or placing decoys in the vicinity. Reflective material such as old CDs can be attached to the tree with some kind of string and hung randomly throughout the tree branches.
Decoys, on the other hand, can be used both indoors and outdoors to frighten birds away. Decoys may include plastic owls, snakes, or even rubber chickens that can be hung or placed around the tree.
Finally, some homeowners employ the use of water cannons with motion sensors around the tree. These water cannons are programmed to detect when a bird approaches the tree and shoot a blast of water at the bird, startling it away from the tree.
Important Considerations
It’s important to remember that birds are attracted to cherry trees for a variety of reasons and it is important to understand exactly what these reasons are in order to devise a plan to keep them away. Determine why the birds visited in the first place and then make sure to take the appropriate measure to avoid their presence in the future.
It is also important to note that some techniques may work better than others depending on what kind of birds are plaguing your cherry tree. If a particular technique fails to achieve the desired results, don’t be discouraged. There are a variety of techniques that you can use in order to keep birds away from your cherry tree and it is important to experiment with a few before settling on a permanent solution.
Using Sprays
Another way to keep birds away from cherry trees is to employ the use of chemical repellents. Chemical repellents are compounded sprays that are designed to keep birds away from the area. However, it’s important to understand that certain sprays may cause unwanted damage to your trees and it is important to exercise caution when using them.
In some cases, it may be advisable to consult a professional before attempting to employ the use of chemical repellents in order to ensure that no damage is done to either the cherry tree or the birds that may be living in it.
Bird Scare Tools
Finally, another way to keep birds away from cherry trees is to employ the use of bird scare tools. Bird scare tools are devices that emit loud noises or flashing lights in order to frighten birds away. These tools have been found to be effective in keeping birds away from cherry trees and can be especially useful when other techniques fail.
However, it is important to note that bird scare tools should not be used as a permanent solution and should only be used if other methods have failed. Additionally, if the birds are still present after using the tools, it may be necessary to take additional measures in order to permanently keep the birds away from the cherry tree.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a variety of ways that you can use in order to keep birds away from your cherry tree. Understanding why the birds are drawn to it in the first place can help in formulating a plan to deal with them. Physical barriers, repellents, pruning, and bird scare tools are just a few options that you can employ in order to protect your cherries from hungry birds.
