Theres nothing like discovering a ripe piece of fruit thats reached the peak of perfection on a tree in your backyard. Youve been waiting all season for the moment when you can pluck it off the branch — but another visitor to your garden has been waiting for this moment as well. Many types of birds love to eat fruit, not only for its delicious taste but also for the moisture it provides them. People often leave cut pieces of fruit in their yards for birds to enjoy, but once they discover your fruit trees, theyll want to help themselves. Fortunately, theres a simple way to protect your harvest from your feathery visitors, and its also an inexpensive and humane solution. Simply tie a few strips of aluminum foil to the branches of the fruit tree, and youll see a difference in how often the birds come to raid the spoil.
The way the foil reflects the sunlight and moves in the breeze will alert the birds and cause them to avoid any area that features an aluminum strip. Theyll also hear the crinkle of the foil as it twists and knocks into the branches. Birds dont understand what kind of creature this object could be! Its definitely up to no good, and they will steer clear of it at all costs. Here are some of the benefits of using aluminum foil to protect the fruit trees in your garden and tips for the best way to do so.
beneficial birds in your orchard
To attract bug-eating bluebirds or tree swallows, Orchard People advises orchardists to build birdhouses in their orchards. These birds will eat a variety of flying pests every day, which can contaminate the fruit on your developing trees.
For example, Eastern bluebirds consume enormous amounts of insects such as moths, mosquitoes, caterpillars, grubs, and snails during the growing season. Eastern bluebirds assist in regulating fruit tree pest populations because many of these insects cause harm to fruit trees. Tree swallows share a similar diet and are important in controlling pest populations. (This post explains how to draw beneficial birds to your garden.) ).
The aluminum foil trick also has the advantage of possibly discouraging other scavengers who detest it, like squirrels. They dread the foil’s appearance and movement, and because they dislike the sensation of walking on it, they resemble birds. Actually, you can also use foil to discourage garden intruders by covering your tree’s trunk or placing a sizable piece of it on the ground beneath the tree. To keep it in place, cover it with some dirt or rocks and pierce a few holes for water to seep into the soil. A bird or squirrel treading on the foil will make it feel weird and make a crinkly sound. Your guests will be alerted by this experience and will be encouraged to find another garden to plunder that isn’t full of bright, flashing lights and strange noises.
The birds will notice and avoid any area with an aluminum strip because of the way the foil reflects sunlight and moves in the breeze. Additionally, they will hear the foil crumple as it twirls and collides with the branches. Birds will avoid this object at all costs, not knowing what kind of creature it might be or how it might be used. Here are some advantages of using aluminum foil to shield your fruit trees and some advice on how to do it most effectively.
There’s nothing more satisfying than finding a perfectly ripe piece of fruit on your backyard tree. Although you have been anticipating this moment for the entire season to remove it from the branch, there is another guest in your garden who has also been anticipating it. Fruit is a favorite food for many different kinds of birds, not only because it tastes good but because it keeps them moist. Birds will want to help themselves once they find your fruit trees because people often leave cut fruit pieces in their yards for them to eat. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to keep your feathered guests away from your harvest that’s also a cheap and compassionate fix. You can make a difference in the frequency of bird raids by simply tying some strips of aluminum foil to the fruit tree’s branches.
Protecting your orchard with foil has several advantages. It can keep “nuisance” birds like starlings and grackles from taking over your yard in a noisy and hostile manner. These birds are drawn to the fruit trees, but they might drive away other birds that would eat the insects in your garden. Large bird flocks will also produce a lot of messy, disease-transmitting droppings. Their nests are frequently constructed next to electrical wires or in locations that could catch fire.
When placing it in your yard, make sure to use a heavy-duty kind of aluminum foil so that it can endure the weather and last longer. But even the more resilient foil will eventually deteriorate and need to be changed. Make frequent checks on your trees to ensure that the foil hasn’t ripped or broken into tiny pieces. Avoid using tiny foil fragments, like gum wrappers, as they may pose a choking hazard to birds.
bandit birds: those you want to keep away from your fruit trees and berry plantings
However, as any fruit grower knows, birds can also be an annoyance in an orchard because they will peck at the fruit that is developing on your trees and berry plants. Red-winged blackbirds, cedar waxwings, American robins, common grackles, house finches, and European starlings are a few common bird bandits.
FAQ
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