How do I keep birds out of my trees, I use little blue flags. The little blue flags do the trick, that is as long as they are attached to the net framing and the netting. Using Tuscon Ken idea and success I decided to try his approch. I saw his in person last September when we stop over at his house while driving to CA. (Ken thanks again for the hospitality.) Mine is 53 feet long, 18 feet wide and 12 feet high using 16 pieces of 3/4" steel conduit @ $3.12 each or $50, 1/4 mile of electric fence wire @ $25, 12 anchors at $3 ea or $36, and 200 feet of netting 14' wide for $108 and a couple spools of nylon string. Total cost around 230 dollars making it well worth it if I don't have to worry about the birds any more. This year the birds had a great breading season, I think many of them nested twice. The mocking birds are more plentiful than ever. They are always chasing each other around the yard staking out their territories. Well it was time to stake out mine.

Here are a few pictures of my project. Oh, and the little blue flag were just put on the wire to keep me and the grand kids from running into them.









China Whites safely behind the netting.


Cajun Gold with it's hundreds of figs.

Where did you get the netting?

I think it was well worth the trouble, Gene!

looks good gene!

Gene,
I have a job for you. Should you choose to accept this mission...birds, birds, and no birds is the objective. I remember Ken's post. It was inspiring. Thanks Ken! Maybe this year I can get it done.

Meanwhile, check out the mobile (10x10) solution in the attachment. What you do not see is a 2nd top cover and bird netting that I dropped off to a seamtress for pick up this week. If that goes well, then she gets the side panels. Right now I have wire ties holding the sides so we have to lift it up to get at the blueberries. Next version will have one side with velcro for easy access. I need to think some more about the bottom because the birds are smart.

I plan on using this soluton for some of my potted figs as they ripen.

Great solution!

Good job Gene:)

Gene...nice neat installation...well thought out, and executed...those trees are probably lovin' it...who wants to be pecked on by some old birds anyway...good luck Gene.

Thanks guys, I owe it all to Ken.

greg, the netting comes from  <http://www.bird-x.com/bird-netting--standard-birdnet--products-32.php?page_id=198>. I made a mistake, the cost is 114 dollars for the 200' roll.

JD you must be a mind reader. I have a few single trees around the yard and I was thinking how easy it would be to make an individual cover for each. Since the trees are young and small a 6' X 6'would be more that enough. I could then by some 7' wide netting and wrap around it with a separate piece for the top. Good thinking my friend.

"gene"

Ha, take that you birds.  Try to get our figs now!

Darkman, I didn't see your post earlier. The netting is supposedly good for up to 4 years but If I take down it should last a lot longer. My plans is to take it down after the season which will last until October or November. When I take it down I have a few modifications to do that will allow me to take it off in one piece and put it back on in one piece. The frame will stay up.

Here chicken wire would not work as the sparrows would zip right through it. Actually the frame work is pretty sturdy but might require better anchors because of the added weight of the wire.

You're right Steve, take Dat and Dat and Dat, now git out of here.

"gene"

That's an incredibly cool set up, very nice! 

Electrify it.

I had never seen a mocking bird here in PA until my strawberries started to ripen.  Then I went out yesterday and found a bird stuck in the bird netting we had covering the strawberries.  Much to my surprise it was a mocking bird.  It suddenly dawned on me that my fig trees were only 20 yards away!  I let the bird go and he flew far far away...

This morning I went out to water the figs and sure enough, there was the mocking bird sitting in my fig tree looking at me... just waiting...

How many figs can a single bird eat?

Nick

I'm not sure how many one bird can eat but one bird can destroy a whole bunch by pecking once or twice on each one. Here, usually the mocking bird will peck around until it finds one that it likes and the sparrow follow behind in droves and finish them off.

Dale you say electrify it. Well Ken who gave me the idea has an electric fence at ground level to ward of the javelinas. I have no such pest.

"gene"

I use emt pipe and bird netting for my blueberry patch, 20' wide by 100' long.
I've noticed that the catbirds peck away at the netting and rip through if any plants
are touching the netting. This allows them to land on a steady surface and work at it. They have all day, and are
very determined.
The sadistic side of me enjoys watching birds fly in and bounce off the canopy repeatedly.
I don't like the fact that snakes sometimes get stuck at the bottom of the netting, they
poke their heads through, then they try to back up and their scales get snagged.
From the end of June to the end of July I check the patch everyday for critters, even though I
only harvest every other day.
I will definitely keep my fig plants in the canopy with the blueberries. The animals in these woods are
tenacious.
One thing I learned that I want to stress is that the netting and framework can't take any
weight, so you'll have damage if you leave it on through wind, snow, falling branches, bucks
with pointy antlers...
There are all kinds of climbing weeds that attack the base of the netting.
If you weed whack or mow in the vicinity, you will rip it, and repairing this stuff is a hassle.
You WILL have to repair it at some point. Black (ultraviolet resistant) Ty wraps or zip ties work
well. Leaving some slack at the ground helps in repairs, and if the netting is very taut, it will
tear more easily.

Oh, and be careful walking around this stuff. It snags you shoes really easily. At best, you cause a big tear.
I've almost fallen a couple of times!

I came home tonight to find the mocking bird stuck inside the netting again today.  I was going to leave him until the morning then grab him and drive a few miles away and let him go, but he was pretty beat up and I didn't think he'd make it through the night, so I let him fly away... he couldn't fly very well, but made his way off.  

We put up a bird feeder today... with any luck the birds will fill up on that... more than likely it will just attract more birds.

Nick

Rui, thanks for the comments. You speak of snakes and things, Ken who gave me the idea and design put solid black plastic around the whole enclosure from the ground up to two feet. This keeps the creepy crawlers out. If you think it snags shoes real bad, don't try fooling with netting while having a shirt with buttons on it. I have left some slack in the netting and some extra at the ground level. We don't have cat birds but they must be related to the mocking birds. The mocking birds walk the whole perimeter looking for an entry place. Last year I had one walk between to lapped over pieces of netting and get in. Now he had to find the lap which was around 12 inches and separate to two layers and squeeze in between them. If I wouldn't have seen it myself I don't think I would have believed it. Other that a few drawbacks I think it will work just fine. Oh and no snow or branches here, my biggest threat will be strong thunder storms and Hurricanes. Time will tell.
"gene"

Gene and all,

Four years seems fair.

What about tree rats? Won't they just bite through the netting? They are probably true to character and will eat a new hole each time so ALL the birds can get in.