| I just planted strawberry plants this season and am having trouble with birds. As soon as a plant produces a fruit, the birds and squirrels are picking the fruit off the plant. Is there anything I can do to keep birds and squirrels out of my patch? |
| Seems everyone has trouble with local wildlife competing for the fruit they grow - whether it's cherries, huckleberries, strawberries or grapes. It's difficult to scare birds or squirrels away for any length of time; they get used to the plastic snakes and bright aluminum pie pans hung in trees, or to the plastic tape strung near the garden that emits a high-pitched sound in the wind. The best deterent is to place a barrier between the fruit and the hungry critters. There are several types of bird netting sold through gardening catalogs and retail stores. Invest in a size that will cover your strawberry bed, and consider it a good investment - you can use it for several years if you store it away at the end of the season. |
