The grape gambit.

[Yatte]

While visiting some vineyards earlier this year, I saw that they cover their grapes in transparent bags to stop the birds from eating the grapes.

I had a real big problem with the birds and my grapes this year, they had a grape fest, while we got nothing.

Are there any other ways to protect my grapes from birds, than covering them with plastic bags? I want something that is a little more aesthetic. The bags just looks horrible.

 

[Tmann]

I have seen some vineyards cover them in bird netting.

 

[Yatte]

I have considered bird netting, but this also would look scruffy, and it would be quite the battle to get to the grapes. I am really stuck on this one. I even contemplated a funky scarecrow. but birds get used to fixed fittings, and mister scary will only collect poop, and not be useful except to attract the attention of visitors, and be something my kids would want to climb.

 

[ChanellG]

I think that you can either be worried about aesthetics or you can have grapes. My mom tried netting in the past, and I don't know if she just didn't do it right or what, but the birds still got up under it. Short of building a mesh hoop house, there's not a whole lot you can do that is also going to be "pretty."

 

[Gina145]

I've seen people hang CDs in their trees because the glare of the sun shining on them is supposed to frighten the birds away.

One of my neighbors did it to his fig tree last year and he's left the CDs there over the winter while the tree is totally bare. Last week I saw a bird land on a branch of the tree, so I don't think the CDs are going to help him when fig season comes around again. Birds are intelligent creatures and they may be frightened by something new, but they will eventually get used to it.

I agree with Chanell, you have to choose between aesthetics and grapes. You need to keep the grapes out of the birds' reach. No other solution will work in the long term.