Naughty birds: How to protect Canadian blueberries in summer

Canadian blueberries are currently in season. The sight of the bushes laden with beautiful, large berries is definitely worth seeing. Most of us are already looking forward to picking them and savouring them. After all, they’re perfect for nibbling on their own. However, there’s no problem using them in all sorts of porridges, puddings, yoghurts or desserts. Canadian blueberries are simply very versatile. But we might not get to enjoy the harvest, as birds love them too. They are the ones who can completely wipe out the crop. We’ll therefore focus on some tricks to stop them from doing so.

Ultrasonic bird repellents

These work by emitting sounds that birds dislike. The sound is transmitted at a frequency that the human ear cannot detect. So we can’t hear practically anything, but the birds certainly don’t like this sound. As a result, they’ll tend to steer clear of the blueberry crop. We tried one such repeller, but the birds were still able to destroy the crop. It ran on AA batteries, which don’t last forever either. Bird repellers cost around 1,000 crowns.

Traditional nets as protection against birds

We can protect our crop from birds using ordinary nets. These can be found online in various widths and lengths. They often even include plastic fittings to which they can be attached. They are available in a wide range of colours. It’s then up to us how we construct our bird protection. The netting can even be stretched over relatively tall structures.

Tip: Birds in your garden. Good, or bad?

Modern zip-fastened mesh covers

These are the ones we used. You can see for yourself in our photos. These are mesh covers that also feature a zip fastening. We can easily open the cover completely using the zip and then slip it over the Canadian blueberry bush itself. Once we’re done, we simply zip it up. What’s more, this cover also features a closure with a ball on strings. This seals the bush perfectly, and the cover won’t blow away even in strong winds. We bought the mesh covers online. They cost just a few crowns.

Protection against birds: Photo Radek Stepan

CDs and plastic bottles don’t work very well

Of course, CDs and plastic bottles also offer a sort of homemade protection against birds. CDs are harder to come by these days, and their shine doesn’t really deter birds. As for plastic bottles, they don’t look very attractive in the garden and, unlike the mesh covers, they don’t offer any certainty.

Sources: Author

Protection against birds: Photo and gallery Radek Stepan