Starlings

[nicosmarcou]

I live in a residential quiet neighbourhood and I have some cherry and fig trees in my garden. Even before the fruit are ready for picking, these birds fly in 3,4 times daily, hundreds literally hundreds of them. All the fruit are either eaten or ruined. Would appreciate any advise/suggestion

thanks in advance

[DanAB]

maybe a scarecrow?

[carrust]

You could get a model of a bird of prey, or an owl, & put it in the tree. This will work in the short term. The other alternative is to net them.

[cassa333]

You could also save up any foil wrappers from pies and stuff and make rattlers and hang them from the trees.

They need to be able to move freely in the wind so that they rattle and glint. It helps keep the birds of my mil veg.

[brenda]

You can also buy netting which is bird proof, different quality, sizes and prices, and you can re-use it.

It depends how large your trees are, and if you can physically put it on the tree,and if the amount of fruit you are saving is worth the expense.

[brenda]

Sorry had not noticed the word net in a previous answer.

[thugulike]

Easiest and most effective way is to hang old CDs from string on the branches. They move very easily in the wind and the birds really don't like them. It depends how tall the trees are whether you can get full coverage although you will save some fruit. Thread the CDs with nylon string otherwise the natural stuff will rot and you'll have to do it all over again next year. The CD's look very pretty even in winter as they move and catch the light. I used this method when the bull finches removed every plum bud one year. Not even the fruit! Never had the problem again.

[Nosha123]

my Mum used to peg net curtains over her fruit tree which was in the front garden for all the neighbourhood to see.

It worked.. but it was sooooo embarrasing!!!!