Do you people have any bird problems?

I am getting worried lately since my fig trees will start producing soon and i cant let the birds have them. I am worried for a massive bird attack. I have heard stories of figs trees being scraped down by birds who only leave like 10-20% of the whole fig load.... !!!

Plus my plantation is like 7 km from my house, i go there every other day or so, have someone who takes care of the trees and vineyard but still have not gave it any thought as to what to do regarding bird attacks?

What are some common and cheap ways of keeping birds away? Do they attack day or night only?

Do i have any luck considering that my fig plantation is far away (like kilometres) from any other similar trees - theres only cotton and wheat fields surrounding my fig trees.

Also what times do those birds attack? Daytime, nightime ??

Someone told me to hang some old CDs on some of my fig tree branches to divert the sunlight and blind the birds!!! (is this possible) or use some special device that makes some sound in the perimeter tha keeps birds away. It is used in coffee shops surrounded by trees, i ve seen it in my town.

The CD deal would be cheaper, as i have loads of old cds lying around, but is it of any good?

All techinques work (CDs, balloons, rubber snakes, etc.), for a few days. The only real solution is bird net. I use the 1/4" mesh from Bird-B-Gone because it also keeps out the Mexican fig beetles we have here.

I go to a large Fruit farm to get blueberry blackberry peaches plums and I see they have computer disks hanging on plants,so it must work.
Nets works for sure,too.

Link: http://www.absolutebirdcontrol.com/ultranet.htm

The main Bird Be Gone site did not have prices, etc. but they had a link for homeowners which sold netting in quantities suitable for most of us.  I wish they had it wider than 14 feet, though.  I was just picking up some pipe yesterday (old but unused 3" gas line pipe) and thinking of using it to construct an area with cables to hang netting from.  I'd also like to project my jujube and some of my peaches, etc.  I really have too many trees and should reconfigure things so I don't have such a big area that requires protection.

Aha, those bird nets look good, but i have may fig trees (like a hundred or so) in 3 different locations. I will be needing several hundred meters of nets to cover them.

I have to check the site more thoroughly

Mod, why did you say that cds work for only a few days? What happens later? do the birds get used to that?

What else can i use?

By the way, whats the best time to start protecting my trees? I think at this point we are like 2-3 weeks before collecting, is it time for birds to attack? I will post photos to let you know how big my figs are

If you only have birds as an issue, there are lighter weight 1/2" nets from Bird-x, which are also cheaper. Even Home Depot, here, sells that type. I went to the 1/4" because it also keeps out the Mexican Fig Beetle, which can still crawl through the 1/2". They are as much or even a bigger problem than the birds.

Those fig beetles are ridiculous! It can be pretty shocking when a golf ball sized beetle flies directly in your face. Instinctively you paw the air to swat it away and it always feels so ... gross when you connect and feel its midair bulk and heft.

I wonder where they disappear to in the fig off season.

Manure/compost piles...really. That's where they lay their eggs and the grubs thrive. Grubs eat the decaying plant material.

http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/inverts/coti-mut.html

They only live one year...most are dead by Sept but they've layed their eggs by August. The larva overwinter in organic matter until they emerge in the Spring, around May.

http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG271/tobacco/green_june_beetle.html

Wow, i started to get worried here. And i still didnt post my fig photos because of problems with compressing the files, so that you can check on the fig sizes.

Yet, im worried looking upon those fig beetles. Are they to be found in Greece as well and southern Europe/Meditteranean? How do they attack? Even if the fig is healthy, or only when it has been invaded by birds?

Regarding the nets, are those nets able to cover each and every tree separately? What is the price for such a net?

I will check the links out.

Why dont cds work for longer than a few days/week?

Wow are prices for bird nets that cheap or am i estimating something wrong

I guess 200'x14' refers to feet size, so we are talking about net sizes also used in fishing (almost..)

Thus if i buy the standard bird net of 200ft x14ft size , (that is apprxmtly 66x3 meters ) , how many trees will i be able to cover? Say 2x3 meters net size for each tree, that is around 30-35 trees.

Correct me if i am wrong. Is it possible to cover that many tree surfaces  (around 30 or more) with a 200'x14' net?