I'm getting more serious about figs and also more serious about bird control.  Using reflective tape in this manner has worked very well for my peaches earlier this year so I'm hoping it works as well for the figs.


(That's my farmhand....I try to stay off of tall ladders since almost killing myself three years ago!)

nice idea.  keep us posted on your success.

farm hand, huh?  I just call mine wife. . .

If I asked my wife to climb the ladder, she'd be calling me....joker, idiot, etc. ;)

Hope it works for you Harvey.  Please post to let us know if it remains effective over time.

Ken Love reported at http://www.hawaiifruit.net/figfinalreportV2.htm that they were able to reduce bird damage to 5-10% of total production using the reflective mylar tape along with other deterrents such as shown at http://www.hawaiifruit.net/forthebirds/index.htm.  I imagine for long term control, some various changes would need to be made constantly to reduce birds becoming accustomed to the deterrents.  Since Hawaii has year-round production I figure their experiences are very valuable since birds are even more likely to become accustomed to the deterrents being used.

Harvey, it does work.  However, the tape also needs to be dangling inside the tree.  The reason why is the birds need to see the tape. If the tape is above the tree, the bird will walk up into the tree and eat the figs.  If every place I had tape, I had figs and no pecks in figs.  For those spots that had no tape, I've seen half eaten figs.  So, it does work.   The brand I use is called Scaretape.

The tape puts on a great show in sun and a slight breeze.  It makes noise too.  Especially if used with an aluminum flag pole.  The clicking and scraping sound can be heard a good bit away.  Next year, I plan on putting my tape out in May.

Dennis, I've used this reflective tape for around 10 years with limited success until tis year whenII applied it around my peach treewin the manner as down with my figs. When I've put it within the branches it always gets tangled up with the branches. I have mostly sparrows, wrens, scrub jays, and mocking birds (in that order) eating my fruit and they fly into the trees, not walk up to them.

Harvey,

Isn't it amazing how bouncing off the ground from a ladder gives you a greater appreciation for gravity?   I have a friend that tried the tape on his 50 blueberry bushes and said it does work.  He like you put it above the bushes.  I just use a .410 with a light load of 9's. 

Thanks for the pics Harvey, and everybody for your  comments.  Your pics really help me with ideas on how to hang the tape.

I've been using netting so far, but it's a real hassle to harvest with the netting on the trees, especially since only a few figs ripen at a time, and  on a daily basis.   

(Good info about bouncing off the ground after a fall from a ladder too WillsC.  I'll try to keep that one in mind).

Dave,

You have more to worry about you could fall on a cactus.  

Harvey mind you i know nothing about bird deterrent dont have bird problem here but if reflective tape works what about bringing it up a notch and
trying Christmas tree Tinsel .
Just throwing that out there as it came to mind.

Wills, I bounced off of a roof and the landing on the ground was more like a thud except my head which landed on concrete and my worker said "sounded like a bowling ball being dropped onto the concrete". I thought I had my brains spilled out but nothing was broken but didn't move too well for a while.

Martin, this material is similar to the tinsel but supposedly the red color on one side is supposed to scare birds more (fire?) and it's more durable than fine strands of tinsel.  Winegrape growers use it suspended above their vineyards a lot (I buy my rolls at a vineyard supply place, same place as my T-posts, wife, etc.  500' is $4.25.

I have estimated that covering my entire 138 trees of my new orchard with bird netting would be maybe $6-10,000 and could last up to 10 years.  This is covering the entire area, not individual trees.  I will try this method first.  Even if birds still damage fruit some it is more practical for now.

In the three days since setting up the scare tape I've seen zero bird damage. Fingers crossed! :)

I found one bird-damaged fruit yesterday afternoon.  Tomorrow, Donna (Chilly-N-Philly) is coming by for a visit with family she's visiting.  We'll do an updated assessment then since they will probably devour the ripe figs I've left for them to enjoy.  It has taken some will power to watch ripe figs just hang there for the past couple of days.  We had 100F today so the figs are loving the hot dry weather.

Harvey, I want to know the name of the vineyard supply place. My wife hasn't left me yet, but might if my fig collection grows too much larger. I figure any farm and orchard retail outlet selling wives must have preconditioned them to accept eccentric home gardeners, so my chances of marital bliss would increase substantially.

Still trying to figure out when I can get to Prusch Park. It may be part of a larger vacation itinerary, in which case picking you up along the way would prove problematic for my fig-skeptical mate, but I might end up making a solo dash some time in September. It would be great to work something out so we could make the latter half of that drive together and get a cool orchard tour (Prusch, not yours, though that would be great too) in the process.

On the actual subject of this thread, I put up scare tape over my grapes and blackberries three weeks ago. The jays had been feeding on the barely sweet grapes for a couple of weeks before the tape went up - a single strand above the line of grapes. They were not deterred, so I netted them and am now watching the friggin' yellow jackets eat the grapes. Time for some wasp traps. The blackberries have sustained almost no bird damage, which is different than in years past when I'd lose a few to the winged terrors if I didn't net them. Preliminary conclusion is that the tape is somewhat effective.

Next year I'll start before the grapes sweeten up, put up strand above the central line of the grapes and at least two more a foot lower and two feet wide of center and see if that keeps the birds away. Nets are such a PITA to work with; I'd accept a 10-15% loss of raspberries, grapes, tree fruit etc if I didn't ever have to cover them with that stuff again.

Neil, it's Valley Vineyard & Orchard Supply on Sacramento Street in Lodi, CA. Cost me $4.25 for a 500' roll. Let me know a week in advance and I'll see if we can go to Prusch together.

That's a serious effort to keep the birds off the trees. One thing that has been very successful is covering the entire tree with a net. I would think building a hoop house covered with a netting instead of plastic will work perfectly. In Trinidad while visiting the farm where I supplied with fig trees have a big greenhouse, covered with netting. It provided shade to reduce heat stress and to keep birds of ripe figs.

My tallest tree is just a little over 6 feet.  I've nettet two of them this year and it's been a real hassle.

I bought scare tape last week.  The scare tape seems to be working almost as well, it's easier to hang, and it's a lot cheaper.   The problem with the net is, you have to partially remove it to harvest ripe figs, which ripen a few at a time.  Which means you must constantly be moving the netting.   The scare tape strips are working great so far, and, like I said...it's much easier to work with.

How's things going Harvey?  Head still hurting?

Dave, I just made another inspection.  I am not picking all of my ripe figs because I can't eat them all and don't really have enough to sell yet, so some fruit hangs on way too long.  On my Marabout c. Smyrna tree I have about a dozen very ripe fruits ready for picking and another 2 or 3 that had bird damage.  I'd estimate about 10% of my other varieties fruits are also damaged.  That's an acceptable level, I believe.  I estimate the cost for netting my entire new orchard (about 50' x 550') to be about $6-$8,000 and it would have a lifespan of 10 years.  The scare tape costs me $4.50 for 500' and I'd guess I could cover the entire orchard for under $100 so it seems like a good alternative.  I'm guessing that with a trellised system for my new orchard that it will be easier to install scare tape that is consistently closer to the branches.

Harvey let me know when I can come over and pick figs.....I will rent a car and we can load the trunk.....LOL

Armando, I don't have that much to share.  When I get more into production, they are going to market.  Posturedoc came by today and took home a few pounds of nice figs, though.  Unfortunately, there was only one Panache that was ripe so he said his wife would have to wait until his own tree starts producing. :)

Harvey, have you considered audible devices to keep birds away?  I have seen (and heard) them in vineyards.

Something like this perhaps:

http://www.gooddeals.com/products/275/Bird-XPeller-Pro.aspx

Dave, I've seen ads for those in ag magazines and newspapers.  Those would be fine if I didn't live nearby.

Hadn't thought of that.  Good point.