There are plenty of reasons why strawberries are one of the most commonly grown fruits.
Not only are they incredibly sweet once they are fully developed, but they are also very easy to plant and care for and will thrive in either a sheltered, sunny, or lightly shaded spot, making them incredibly versatile.
However, a big downside that comes as a result of the bright red appearance of strawberries, along with their incredibly addictive taste, is that they easily catch the attention of wild birds, and as soon as they manage to steal one strawberry from a field or patch, you can guarantee they will be back for more in no time, so it’s always a good idea to learn how to protect them.
Keep reading to learn about the most effective ways to protect strawberries from birds so that you don’t have to constantly worry about whether they’ve been carried away when you’re not looking.
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What Types Of Birds Are Attracted To Strawberries?
Most types of birds will find the red appearance and juicy flavor of strawberries appetizing, but the main culprits that will purposefully try to seek them out are fruit-eating Granivorous birds such as finches, orioles, and the American robin.
Because a lot of these birds will make their homes close to a reliable source of food, whether it be seeds, nuts, or fruit, as soon as they understand that strawberries are being grown on a farm or in a back garden, they will set up their home closeby so that they can collect the food as frequently as possible.
This is why protection is so important because you can’t simply wait for the birds to leave the strawberries alone, if no effort is made to prevent them, they will see no problem with stealing the fruit.
This can become even worse if you have a pick-your-own strawberry farm and come to realize that a lot of the fruit has been stolen by wild birds which can lead to some very unsatisfied visitors.
Best Ways To Protect Strawberries
There are a few tested methods that have been proven to deter birds from strawberry patches, so rather than trying just one, make sure to experiment with a few at a time and see which works best for you.
Depending on the size of your strawberry patch or farm, some methods could be more effective than others, so always keep in mind how much you’re trying to protect at one time to determine which solution will work the best.
Berry Cage
While some people will also use them to protect small trees that are still growing, most people will use berry cages as a way to defend small fruits, including strawberries, from animals that will struggle to get past the steel, aluminum, or reinforced mesh that surrounds the fruit.
Admittedly, they can be a little heavy to carry around if you choose one made out of heavier materials, but once they are in place and towering over the strawberries, they will still be light enough to lift up or tilt to the side for when it’s time to harvest, or if you want to allow some pollinators to reach other flowers.
You can easily buy berry cages online, however, if you like the idea of doing some DIY and making one yourself, you can easily do so by using a PVC pipe to fit around the outside of the berry patch and then attaching a bird net or chicken wire around it.
The easy-to-use 36″ Outdoor Mesh Plant Enclosure offers an instant pest guard against tortoises, rabbits, squirrels, insects, birds and other garden pests.
Visual Scares
Scarecrows are one of the most common types of bird repellers that many farmers will use, but there is actually a whole range of wacky and weird objects that will frighten birds enough to keep them away from a patch.
LarpGears Halloween 7.5 Feet Height Pumpkin Scary Scarecrow could prove effective and also be used for Halloween.
Some of the most popular visual scares include dark black hawk kites which glide above the crops and strike fear into any birds that may be tempted to swoop down to pick up some of the fruit for themselves.
There are also plenty of inflatable bird repellers you can buy which will usually feature a menacing face on the front, or if you want something closer to the ground, there are even coyote and other predator replicas that you can place in between patches as an easy way to warn birds not to get any ideas.
Create An Uncomfortable Landing
If you’re close to a forest and or anywhere you can collect some twigs and sticks, you can easily place them around the strawberries to form an uneven surface which will force the birds to think twice about landing.
You don’t just have to use excess wood though, if you have plastic forks, knives, or even spoons, you can simply dig these into the soil as close to the strawberries as possible without actually making contact with them to make it harder for the birds to land comfortably.
Strawberry Rocks
Strawberry rocks can be made easily by simply painting a small rock bright strawberry-red and using small dashes of brown to make it look like there are seeds covering the surface.
When creating these fake fruits, it can also be a good idea to add some varnish so that the rain doesn’t end up washing away the paint.
When the growing season begins, place multiple strawberry rocks around where the real strawberries had been planted, and the birds will swoop down, only to find that the fruit is too hard to eat and too heavy for picking up, causing them to abandon the patch entirely.
White Flowers
Many birds will flash their white tails or wings when they are alarmed, meaning that many species associate it with danger and will stay away when they see it from a distance.
An easy way to use this to your advantage is by placing a few white flowers, such as poppies, which thrive in well-drained soil next to the strawberries as a natural way to scare birds away.
Final Thoughts
If you spot a few birds circling your strawberry patches and are worried they might be eyeing up your juicy red fruit, rather than waiting for them to go away on their own, take steps as soon as you can to keep them away and let them know to look elsewhere for their food.
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