If you have a problem with birds, you've probably tried several solutions. Some of the most popular include plastic animals, scarecrows, wind chimes or highly reflective tape. All of these things can do a great job of reducing bird problems. I have a lot of cherry trees in my backyard, and I used to struggle a lot with the birds. After applying all these solutions, my problem was almost completely gone. Unfortunately, the solution only lasted a few months.
Obviously, birds have a natural tendency to be bold with the passage of time. Where earlier my scarecrow inexplicably scared him, now I look outside and see him sitting on my shoulder. And munching on cherries from my tree. That insolent little devil! I am not saying that I don't mind birds. I like to have them around my yard. But you see, I've already designated a tree specifically to allow birds to eat it. But it seems that the birds cannot be satisfied with what they are given. They always feel the need to go near my own trees when there is only one tree for them with no scary things around.
I saw many gardening stores marketing a type of bird netting. I decided to use it. Bird netting is basically a giant net that you throw across the tree. The holes are about half an inch wide. I bought it enough to cover an entire tree. It took quite a bit of trouble to set it up, but it definitely worked after that. I had no more problems with birds picking cherries from that tree. But one day I woke up and went about my daily routine. That day, I saw 2 birds trapped in the net, which had died of suffocation. I felt absolutely terrible. I buried the birds and immediately took down the net. I didn't want to protect my tree at the cost of the lives of the birds! Sure, I'll **** some bugs, but birds are a little too good for me.
For a while, I thought I was too guilty to stop the birds from eating anymore. I thought I would compensate for them by feasting them on my cherries. I took off my scarecrow too. But a few months later, I saw something in a clothing store that made me rethink my generosity. Almost every clothing store sells a material called "tulle." It is a very fine net with holes so small that no bird can fit in its beak or head. It is easy to find as well as very cheap. Buying enough to cover a tree cost less than half the cost for a deadly bird net.
I installed tulle on my tree (I'll admit it was a lot harder to set up than bird netting. I had to glue several large pieces together) and stared at it for a day. I wanted to keep an eye on it at all times, so that if a bird was caught, I could help it quickly. Fortunately, no bird was ever caught. Tulle is a much safer and cheaper alternative to bird netting, and I recommend it if you have any problems with birds. Just remember to let them have at least one tree for themselves! Sharing with birds is an essential part of being a good gardener.
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