To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [NAFEX] Varmints and Netting
Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2007 07:34:32 -0800 (PST)
The first year my goumi fruited, I watched the fruit develop with anticipation. One night they were starting to color up and the next morning the bush was stripped bare. The following year I netted the bush (hoop house with netting around it) and watched again. No interest from the birds until one morning I looked out and found about 20 robins perched on the hoops and netting eyeing the fruit. The robins around here are very persistent. They are the number 1 varmints in depredating my small fruit. The repeatedly charge at the netting and occasionally are able to dislodge it unless I am very careful and inspect regularly.
From time to time a bird will get caught in the netting. I always find them after the fact, and they are always robins. Forgive me, but I feel no remorse from the occasional death of these varmint thieves. My parents have a few cherry trees and almost never get a
cherry because the robins are at them before they ripen.
Anyone care to comment about which birds are the worst offenders in your area?