Which Animals Eat Blueberries?

Deer

• Deer, which are herbivores, often eat blueberries. This can be problematic in that they not only feed on the berries, but also on the twigs and foliage as well. Their feeding habits, as a result, can destroy or hinder the growth of the plant. For people growing blueberries in areas that are in or near deer habitats, fencing can be a helpful solution in keeping this type of animal away, thereby reducing the potential for damage.

Birds

• Blueberries are often eaten by a variety of birds. This includes the American robin, mourning doves, bluebirds, blackbirds, and house finches. They are also food for turkey, grouse, bobwhites and many other types of birds. According to Washington State University's Integrated Pests Management, damage from birds may result in a 10 percent or higher loss in yield. Because of the damage that they cause to the blueberry harvest, birds can be problematic and measures may be necessary to keep them away. This may include visual deterrents, netting or noise makers.

Bears

• Omnivorous animals such as the black bear also find blueberries to their liking and can pick and eat large quantities of them at a time. According to the University of California Cooperative Extension of Stanislaus County, wild bears will travel up to 15 miles for a blueberry patch, even on an empty stomach. Once found, the bears will consume nothing but the berries until the end of the blueberry season.

Rodents

• Various types of rodents commonly feed on blueberries. While some focus primarily on the bush, others will also eat the berries themselves. Squirrels such as the tree fox or flying squirrel and chipmunks for example, include blueberries as a part of their food supply. Certain mice, such as the white-footed and woodland jumping mouse, are also known to consume blueberries.

Insects

• Insects are some of the pests that frequently feed on blueberries. While many of them feed on the leaves, and twigs of the bush, there are those that use the fruit as a source of food. Green stinkbugs, for example, use blueberries as one of their major sources of food. This type of insect feeds by sucking the juice from not only the fruit, but also from the leaves and stems of the plant. Another example of an insect that eats blueberries is the blueberry maggot. According to the Michigan State University Extension, it is the primary pest found on blueberries. The maggot comes from eggs that are the adult fly has lain in the fruit of the blueberry. The maggot feeds by eating the inside of the blueberry.