As a cherry tree owner you know the excitement of watching your tree’s blossoms give way to glistening red cherries. However, you also know the disappointment when your crop gets decimated by hungry birds before you can pick any for yourself. Birds love cherries, so protecting your tree is crucial for ensuring you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. In this article, you’ll learn effective strategies to safeguard your cherry tree using deterrents, barriers, and maintenance tips to keep birds at bay.
Why Birds Love Cherry Trees (and How Much They Can Consume)
Birds relish the plump, juicy sweetness of ripe cherries. Some types, like starlings, robins, and sparrows aggressively swarm cherry trees, while finches, jays, and orioles may nibble opportunistically. With many birds consuming up to 2 lbs of cherries daily during peak season, they can quickly strip a tree in just days. Studies show birds may feast on up to 75% of the total crop if left unchecked. Their small size allows them to access even the interior branches. Once birds get a taste, they will return daily, bringing friends along to get their share.
Physical Barriers to Block Birds
Installing barriers can be an very effective strategy. Bird netting is ideal for protecting your entire tree. Use a durable netting with a 1/4″ holes or less to prevent birds from reaching through. Drape it over the tree, securing the edges tightly to the ground so birds can’t sneak underneath. For smaller trees, frame the tree with PVC or stakes to fully enclose it before adding netting. Ensure netting doesn’t rest on branches where birds could get trapped or tangled. Check netting routinely for rips.
You can also wrap bird-proof garden fabric around fruit clusters or sacrificial branches. These mesh bags allow sunlight and air circulation while keeping birds away from enclosed fruit. Monitor fruit daily removing covers to harvest ripe cherries.
Deterrents to Scare Hungry Birds Away
Along with physical barriers, using deterrents can enhance protection. Visually scaring birds with flash tape, pie pans, balloons depicting predator eyes, and reflective ribbons disrupts landing attempts. The glinting, rustling materials startle birds. Hang items in branches surrounding fruit rather than directly on food sources.
Auditory deterrents like clanging pie pans, distress call recordings, or loud propane cannons also frighten birds. Use sparingly to prevent habituation. Auditory deterrents are ideal for short periods when fruit nears ripeness.
Repellents Make Cherries Unpalatable
Applying chemical bird repellents is another protective tactic. Avoid harmful chemicals and stick to non-toxic, food-grade options like methyl anthranilate or capsaicin-based products. Repellents give cherries an unpleasant, bitter, or spicy taste. Spray trees weekly starting a month before cherries ripen, avoiding direct contact with fruit. Fogging systems dispense repellents over entire trees or orchards. Follow label directions carefully.
Promote Your Tree’s Health and Productivity
Caring for your cherry tree helps it better withstand and deter birds. Healthy trees produce more abundant fruit with greater natural defenses.
Prune annually in winter to shape and thin the canopy. This improves air circulation and light penetration. Fertilize each spring using a balanced organic product formulated for fruit trees. Consistent deep watering of 1-2” per week nurtures the root system. Control pests and diseases promptly to prevent added stressors.
Companion Plantings Help Repel Birds
Certain companion plants naturally deter birds with strong scents or by attracting predators. Interplanting marigolds releases a pungent odor many birds dislike. Garlic and chives also repel with their robust aroma. Dill, parsley, and basil mask fruit scents.
Sunflowers provide shelter for predatory insects. Their tall stalks also physically block birds. Try pairing cherry trees with plants birds dislike, like oregano, thyme, or sage. Maintaining a 3-4 foot perimeter around trees with small gravel instead of lawn reduces bird foraging spots.
Start Early and Adjust Tactics as Fruit Ripens
Ideally, begin implementing protective measures up to 2 months before cherries start ripening. Monitor trees closely a week before ripening, and be prepared to adjust strategies to prevent last minute raids. For example, switch from reflectors and sounds to physical barriers like netting as fruit color changes. Combining multiple deterrents with barriers gives the best protection for a bountiful cherry harvest.
Enjoy Bird-Free Cherries!
Although birds relish cherries, a bit of creativity and strategic effort keeps your crop safe. Now you can implement proven methods to deter birds and reap rewards of beautiful trees and plenty of cherries for baking, canning, or fresh eating. With the satisfaction of outsmarting those feathered thieves, you’ll find protecting your cherry tree is well worth the effort.
Keep Birds Off Fruit Trees And Gardens With 4 Simple Tricks
FAQ
How do commercial cherry growers keep birds away?
Some growers are using CDs, or shiny reflective tapes, which they hang all over the tree. A CD has two shiny faces, which shine even brighter, when they reflect the sun – and that scares away the birds. That was also an easy method, so I tried it immediately.
How to protect cherry trees from animals?
Build a fence.
Set three or four posts into the ground around your tree and wrap them with chicken wire or mesh fencing. Make sure the fencing is five to six-feet tall so deer (or rabbits) can’t get to it. The circumference of the fence should be small enough so deer can’t jump into it.
How do you cover fruit trees from birds?
Netting will physically prevent birds from nesting, perching and attacking fruit baring trees. Bird Repellents and deterrents can be used to discourage birds from trees that are too large to fully net off.
How do you keep birds away from cherry trees?
Utilize these 7 proven tactics for keeping birds away from your precious cherry trees. Netting is one of the most reliable physical barriers for protecting cherry trees from birds. Drape bird netting completely over trees anchoring it to the ground.
Why is it important to protect cherry trees from birds?
Protecting cherry trees from birds is essential to ensure a fruitful harvest. Birds can quickly consume cherries, impacting the quantity and quality of the crop. Understanding the significance of safeguarding your trees helps in implementing effective measures.
How do you keep birds away from tart cherries?
Distracting objects, such as white strips of cloth and aluminum pie plates hung in the trees, will scare most birds away from tart cherries, but they don’t work as well for sweet cherries. You can also throw a spool of black thread through alt the branches in a tart cherry tree: the birds don’t like to get their feet entangled, and stay away.
Can you harvest a cherry tree with a bird deterrent?
Yes, you can still harvest your cherry tree while using bird deterrents, but you should be careful not to damage the netting or scare away birds while picking the fruit. It’s best to harvest the fruit when it’s fully ripe and easy to detach from the stem.
How do you care for a cherry tree?
Here are two effective methods to consider: Maintaining the health of your cherry tree is crucial. A healthy tree produces better fruit and may naturally deter birds. Regular Pruning: Prune your cherry tree annually. This encourages air circulation, reduces disease risk, and helps fruit maturity. Fertilization: Apply balanced fertilizers.
Do bird repellent sprays work on cherry trees?
Although electronic bird repellents do work, but only if you have a couple of cherry trees and not if you have a large cherry orchard. Brid repellent sprays contain special chemicals that birds do not like and for the most part, they will avoid the area. There are even organic bird repellent sprays on the market which are also good.