The Secret To Keeping Birds Out Of Your Precious Fruit Trees Is Already Hidden Away In Your Kitchen
There's nothing like discovering a ripe piece of fruit that's reached the peak of perfection on a tree in your backyard. You've been waiting all season for the moment when you can pluck it off the branch — but another visitor to your garden has been waiting for this moment as well. Many types of birds love to eat fruit, not only for its delicious taste but also for the moisture it provides them. People often leave cut pieces of fruit in their yards for birds to enjoy, but once they discover your fruit trees, they'll want to help themselves. Fortunately, there's a simple way to protect your harvest from your feathery visitors, and it's also an inexpensive and humane solution. Simply tie a few strips of aluminum foil to the branches of the fruit tree, and you'll see a difference in how often the birds come to raid the spoil.
The way the foil reflects the sunlight and moves in the breeze will alert the birds and cause them to avoid any area that features an aluminum strip. They'll also hear the crinkle of the foil as it twists and knocks into the branches. Birds don't understand what kind of creature this object could be! It's definitely up to no good, and they will steer clear of it at all costs. Here are some of the benefits of using aluminum foil to protect the fruit trees in your garden and tips for the best way to do so.
Benefits to using foil
Using foil to protect your orchard can be helpful in many ways. It can prevent your yard from being filled with loud and aggressive "nuisance" birds, like grackles and starlings. These birds are attracted to the fruit trees, but they may chase off other birds who would benefit your garden by eating insects. Large flocks of birds will also leave plenty of droppings that are messy and can spread disease. Their nests are often built in areas that could cause fire hazards, such as exhaust vents or near electrical wires.
Another benefit of the aluminum foil trick is that it may deter other scavengers, such as squirrels, who hate it as well. They are afraid of the sight and movement of the foil, and they are similar to birds because they don't care for the feeling of walking on it. In fact, you can also deter your garden intruders by wrapping the trunk of your tree with foil or laying a large piece of it on the ground underneath the tree. Place some dirt or rocks on top of it to keep it in place, and punch a few holes in it so that water can reach the soil. If a bird or squirrel steps onto the area, the foil will feel strange and sound crinkly. This experience will sound an alarm for your visitors and encourage them to find another garden to plunder, one that isn't filled with strange noises and bright, flashing lights.
Protecting your environment
Be sure to use a heavy type of aluminum foil when you place it in your yard so that it can withstand the elements and last longer. However, even the stronger variety of foil will eventually weaken and need to be replaced. Check your trees often to be sure that the foil hasn't ripped or torn into small pieces. Don't use very tiny scraps of foil, such as gum wrappers, because they could be dangerous to birds if they swallow them.
You may use other items that are similar to foil in the way that they reflect light and move in the wind. Setting a pinwheel on the ground near the tree can be a deterrent to your garden visitors, or try hanging party streamers from the branches. Even Christmas garlands that flutter and sparkle in the breeze will do the trick to protect your harvest. Each of these techniques is humane, non-toxic, and inexpensive. Unlike other methods, such as sprays or pesticides, using these suggestions will give you a simple way to protect your fruit trees and also protect the birds in your yard.