[cabo35]

About a year and a half ago, I decided that no Florida home was complete without citrus trees in the backyard. With visions of the instant gratification of plucking an orange from my own tree and making lemonade from my own Meyer lemons, I made the plunge and purchased an orange tree, a lemon tree and a tangerine tree. I drove to a nursery in Ocala where I "heard" they had the "best" trees.

I watered them, fed them, nurtured them, talked to them, covered them from any threat of cold and generally pampered them better than the family pet. The first year we were not surprised to have a bare tree because we were warned that it may not produce because of the transplant shock. However, the lemon tree produce 50 fabulous lemons and the tangerine a half dozen prizes.

This year we anticipated an abundant season crop yield. Hundreds of blossoms on the orange tree, as many on the lemon tree and a healthy tangerine bloom. Marble size baby oranges, lemons and tangerines inspired visions of a bountiful harvest so ample we would be able to share with friends and neighbors.

Then, it happened, the baby fruits started disappearing. I had judicially counted them frequently and the count kept getting lower. We went to Disney World for a couple of days and when we returned, all but two or three fruits were gone. Had there been a frost, had some mysterious plant ailment attacked my orchard?

I told a friend who knows much of these horticulture things and his response was.....birds. The birds got them.

Okay, enough background. Does anyone know how to stop the birds from pilfering my citrus fruit ?

Muncle, before you say it, getting a cat to guard the trees is not in the game plan.

[beady]

Back in New England we covered berry bushes with netting to stop the birds from pilfering our crop. I wonder if there are bigger nets for citrus trees? ???
I am interested in hearing the solution as I am about to relandscape our rear yard and was planning on a couple of fruit trees.

[redwitch]

Well, since Muncle can't say it ... I have a very friendly stray kitty here that needs a home. I'm sure he'd be happy to keep your birds at bay.

I know an owl on a roof keeps birds away for awhile anyway. So, maybe hanging a fake owl in the trees would work? Plant another tree -- one for you and one for the birds? Hope someone has some serious suggestions for you. Good luck!

[jjdees]

I kept my boat in a covered dock and the birds would make a mess for me to clean. I bought a realistic looking and life sized owl and hung it from the rafters. The birds stayed away for awhile and after a week or two, they returned. I was told to move the owl around, not keeping it in the same spot. It was a pain in the *ss but it worked.

[uujudy]

If you can't find an owl, a rubber snake worked for my cherry tree, but you do have to move it around.

(A farmer told me that in the olden days farmers would plant 1/3 for the birds, 1/3 for the bugs and 1/3 for the farmer)

[cabo35]

Thanks for the follow-ups. We're off to Walmart for owls, snakes and netting. You're all invited to the citrus punch party when the crop comes in. Other thoughts still welcome.

[renielarson]

I copied this from a website...everything has been said already...good luck!

Birds The only sure solution to bird depredation is to use screening or netting material. This must be tied about the tree trunk to be effective in keeping the birds out. The use of owl statues, flexible snakes and cat statues will only be effective in gardens if they are repositioned every few days.

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Cabo I feel disheartened. We left TV with so many tiny lemons and oranges on the trees that we bought an electric juicer, we saw we were going to get a bumper crop.

Now you tell me what happened to your fruit - I wonder if we can get an electronically controlled snake, owl or what ever we need that will scare away the predators - the birds. That is, if they haven't decimated the trees.

I have been planning what flowering plants and bushes I wanted - wanted ones that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds. After the flower blooms dies away there would be berries for the birds. Now I read this and I think - Oh No, I would be attracting predators.

I guess next time we have blooms on our trees I will immediately cover them with a net. Reminds me of when I was a young Mother and put a net over the carriage to keep the bugs from getting to my children.

So as an experienced netter I will once again start covering babies - this time citrus babies.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

HB

[renielarson]

Such a sweet analogy HB...put a motherly smile on my face.