Source: Delia Scott, Department of Horticulture Extension Associate 

Birds that feed on ripening small fruit can be a problem for homeowners with plantings of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants and grapes.  

There are multiple techniques that may be effective in keeping birds away, depending on bird populations and other available foods. These include using bird scare balloons with large eyes on the sides, placing rubber snakes or owls around plants, hanging aluminum pie pans or old CDs that blow in the breeze, or using reflective tape over and around the plants. These techniques are more effective if used before the bird problem develops. Birds will eventually become accustomed to scare devices, so repositioning them frequently is necessary.  

Another effective technique controlling bird feeding is the use of exclusion netting. There are many types of netting available, from fine-meshed netting that also excludes insects to large-meshed netting designed exclusively for bird control. Using a structure is often recommended to keep the netting off the plants, as well as to make harvesting more enjoyable. Photos of bird netting setups and structures can be found at https://www.uky.edu/hort/bird_netting_pics on the UK Horticulture Department website.  

Once birds have found fruit, it is difficult to discourage them from continued feeding. Birds will eat fruit long before it is considered ripe, so be sure to apply nets or use scare tactics before fruit begins to color.  

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