North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

Rivka wrote, "I keep intending to try this (berry bead decoys to fool the 
birds); but don't have any idea where to get the beads. Where do you buy 
them? (and, are other types of fake fruit available to do this with? 
apricots? grapes? strawberries?? Have you tried it with anything besides 
juneberries and cherries?)"

   I get the beads from a store that sells hobby and craft supplies.  Red, 
spherical, beads come in several sizes.  Some are faceted and work as well 
as the plain ones.  I buy beads that are the most similar to the size of the 
fruit that I'm trying to imitate.  I use these in my cherry and amelanchier. 
I leave these beads in place the year around.
   Then there are (red) berry beads..................they look so alike red 
raspberries that people are fooled and attempt to pick them.  They come in 
three sizes and I use all three to duplicate actual, possible, berry sizes. 
Darcey (I believe that is the name of the importing company) now sells black 
berry beads but they don't fool the birds so I spray painted them black and 
now they are effective in the black raspberry patch where I also hang red 
berry beads.  I put these beads out as soon after the raspberries start 
flowering and remove them as I pick the (ripe) fruit.
   These decoys aren't always 100% effective but they help.  My biggest 
problem is robins and the beads are quite effective on them.  Cat Birds, I 
don't know about, because they are easy to scare off and they don't come 
back whereas robins can be scared off but they forget the scare and wander 
back.  Black berry beads don't work on chickadees but my Morus alba 
(Black-fruited Mulberry) keeps them out of the berry patch.  And, if I pick 
more than one or two mulberry fruits, the chickadees land in the tree and 
scold me - That's THEIR tree!!!
   Grapes?  I haven't had success with grapes.  I tried individual black 
beads but the birds weren't fooled; they seem to know the difference between 
a lone bead and a 'bunch' of grapes.  I'd like to try plastic bunches of 
grapes but I don't have a source.
   Strawberry decoys are easy!  I paint (pebble size and larger) stones red 
and scatter them in the berry patch as soon as flowering ceases.  I have 
zero problems with birds eating strawberries.
   Peaches and apricots haven't attracted birds (yet) but, when that 
happens, I suppose I'll figure something out; why don't you invent something 
and tell me about it.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]