Can Bird Repellent Be Applied to Berry Bushes?

Chemical Repellents

• Chemical bird repellents containing the active ingredient of methyl anthranilate deter birds for up to three days and then begin to lose potency. The chemical compound is derived from Concord and other grapes. Birds find the flavor unpleasant and if a bird gets enough of the taste in one mouthful, it may not return. Mix the repellent with water, following the package directions. Apply to berries early in the morning or late in the day when temperatures are cooler. Berries can typically be harvested 6 to 8 days following an application, but check with your product's directions. Do not swallow the chemical bird repellent products or get them in eyes, on skin or on clothing. Wash thoroughly with soap and water if the products come in contact with skin. Wear protective eyewear and clothing when mixing and applying the products. The chemical is volatile, so follow instructions and warnings carefully.

Spoonfulls of Sugar

• Another type of bird repellent uses sucrose syrups. While most types of birds can easily process fruit sugars, or monosaccharides, they have difficulty digesting the disaccharides found in a simple syrup of table sugar dissolved in water. An application of sucrose syrup to your berry plants may deter many of the birds. Cornell University reported that simple syrup reduced bird damage to blueberry crops by 50 percent when used four times a year. However, it attracted yellow jackets and Japanese beetles. Apply sucrose syrup to berries when they begin to ripen using a pump sprayer. Create sucrose syrup by dissolving 10 parts sugar in 1 part hot water.

Access Barriers

• A variety of types of physical barriers can be used to prevent berry-feeding birds from having access to bushes. Drape bird netting over blueberry bushes or a frame that is built over your strawberry bed. Netting with a mesh size of 3/4-inch will keep out even the smallest of birds.

Scary Sounds

• Devices that produce sounds that birds find unpleasant or disruptive can be used to scare them away from your berries. Noise makers such as bangers or sirens, are one option for chasing away birds, although they might have everyone else running from your yard as well. A less jarring method for humans is to hang disposable, miniature pie pans on blueberry bushes large enough to hold them, so that when birds land, the pie pans rattle scaring them off. Electronic devices that mimic distress calls followed by the cry of a predatory hawk, are available but are specific to a species; you must know what type of bird your are trying to deter. Cornell University's All About Birds website can help you identify them. Scare tactics lose their effect on birds after a while, so alternate your methods and where you hang devices on the bushes.