Jim, I read some research a while back that birds see into the ultraviolet much more then we do and much of the feeding behavior could depend on the color of the fruit. The color change of ripening fruit could be what triggers the feeding. Hence, your success with decoys may have something to do with the color of the paint used and/or brand, as well as specific beads.
--- On Mon, 7/21/08, Jim Fruth <jfruth@tds.net> wrote:
From: Jim Fruth <jfruth@tds.net>
Subject: [NAFEX] Birds in Amelanchier & Cherry
To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Cc: "Jackie Kuehn" <jakuehn@verizon.net>
Date: Monday, July 21, 2008, 8:53 AM
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]
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