Vineyard Bird Control Tools, in 30 Seconds or Less - What Really Works?

Tis’ the season.  Everyone is very busy - so busy, in fact, that you may not have time to read this.  The bottom line this time of year is “Spare the long dissertation, what works?”

Let’s hit everything I think you’ve thought of.

First, netting.  Yes, it works and it is readily available.  Just take your time installing it and removing it, or get some disposable netting so that it doesn’t matter if you tear it up.  Consider netting only the most frequently damaged rows.  You’re short on time right now so netting the rows that get eaten first, and maybe only those rows, will make the best of your effort.

Next, noisemaking devices, meaning propane cannons and bird bombs and whistles.  They’ll work if you don’t get in a routine.  Take time to watch those starlings in the morning and evening.  Is it big organized flocks, or just a few birds milling around?  A few starlings milling around is pretty much a year ‘round fixture in a lot of vineyards.  If you have organized flocks, go where they are going and start shooting.  You need to be there, waiting for them when they arrive.  You’ll have good results using this technique.  You would be smart to incorporate some netting with this system so that the birds have fewer choices of places to go.

Other noisemaking devices to consider are distress calls and electronic noisemakers.  They are functional and can increase the effectiveness of your overall bird control program.  They have not been very effective as a stand alone product, but nothing else, except netting, has either.  It is important to know that different species of birds react in different ways to distress calls.  Some birds flee, others flock up and come to investigate

the source of the call.  This is a species preservation reaction, they are trying to identify the predator that is creating the distress.  If you observe this behavior do not assume the distress call is not working, it just isn’t working the way you thought it would.

Visual cues such as flashtape and scare eye balloons are another option.  They are a great addition to your noisemaking program.  The birds need to see something to identify the danger with.  If you are successful in convincing them that the scare eye balloon is shooting at them, you’ve won.  This is the mindset that needs to be adopted when working with visual hazing devices.  Again, don’t rely on these products to stand alone and protect your grapes.  They’ll work for 3 or 4 days and then that is all.  Combine your techniques.

There you have it - 30 seconds, or maybe a little longer of your time spent reading.  Hopefully I’ve covered what you were considering and it was useful.  Good luck and good harvest.