Here’s how you can deal with Bird Control and protect your crops!
If you are a farmer, does the following situation sound familiar to you? You have slogged the entire year in the scorching heat, invested a major chunk of your savings, and just as you were gearing up to harvest the fruits of your labor, comes the birds and bats wasting your months of hard work! Why? Simply because probably you did not think of an effective means of bird control!
Bird-control is a term used for various types of methods deployed to deter or eliminate birds from landing, nesting, and roosting. One of the effective means of protecting your crops/fruits from the attack of frugivore birds and bats is using bird netting
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Bird Control – A Serious Concern
Bird-control is a serious concern not only in the countryside but also in the urban areas. It is very important to deal with bird-control, as these pest birds can cause various health related concerns via their feces.
While birds are certainly helpful in maintaining the ecosystem, as they help to maintain the right balance of insects in the crop fields, they can also prove to be quite dangerous to the crops. These pest birds move in large groups and they are known for massively attacking the crops. Some of the common pest birds include crows, black birds, geese, starlings, and similar frugivorous avians.
These birds attack the harvested crops and cause partial or sometimes even complete losses for farmers. Most of the times these pest birds cause holes and eat only part of the fruit. These types of damages lead to gradual decomposition of your harvest. To deal with this nuisance, farmers are bound to use an extra amount of pesticides to keep them away. However, when they do so, their produce cannot be sold in the market as organic. Hence, it is quite significant that bird-control needs to be dealt with effectively.
Bird Netting – An Effective Solution
Bird netting offers a complete, definite, and effective solution for bird-control. These nets help to cover the plants and prevent the passage of any kinds of birds. In this manner it is feasible to cut down the application of pesticides and also reduce your labor. You can also then confidently sell your produce as 100% organic in the market
Bird-control nets which are plastic are extremely flexible and extra light. You can very easily trim them in the dimensions as per your specific requirement. You do not need any kind of specialized devices for bird-control if you have proper bird netting. One of the most important advantages of using bird netting for bird-control is that it is quite economical. You can also easily remove them and reuse them year after year. Since it is manufactured using virgin extruded polyethylene, it guarantees you durability. These nets last for years even if you use them in your open fields as they are UV resistant. The benefits of resorting to bird-control curbs economic losses caused otherwise due to reduced harvest. It even helps in preventing the spread of certain plant diseases which are caused by the pest birds.
Advantages of Bird-Control Nets
Some of the benefits of bird-control nets include the following:
- These nets are durable and permanent.
- They are UV rays resistant and thereby long lasting.
- These bird nets are suitable for any birds of any size.
- They are non toxic and are easily adaptable to any structure.
- They are reusable, washable, and economical.
Nowadays you get specially designed fabrics such as all purpose garden fabric also known as floating row cover, which are often used to protect crops or plants from frost as well as to block birds and insects.
Some Common Bird-Control Methods
The various methods of bird-control include visual deterrents, sonic devices, physical deterrents, chemicals, active barriers etc. It has been observed that birds usually quickly adapt to most static bird-control devices. The bird-control devices which are found to be most effective, either actively modifies the behavior of the birds or physically blocks these pest birds using a mild shock which is harmless.
Physical bird deterrents entail a list of products such as plastic or steel spike systems, electrified wire systems, bird netting, non-electrified wire systems, etc. Various types of chemical deterrents are also used for bird-control, but a lot of localities have restrictions on the usage of pesticides and chemicals. In large open areas, sonic avian deterrents are widely used. However their effectiveness is found to be quite low. However, so far bird netting has been found to be one of the most effective means of bird-control.
It has been observed that usually birds adapt to bird-control devices within weeks of exposure. Some of the effective bird-control devices which help the birds to adapt quickly include mechanical devices, sound devices, partial perch modifications, and wind-blown scare devices. However, such devices are not a wise investment compared to bird netting. Birds are unable to adapt to complete blocking methods or mild electrical low current shock stimuli that modify their behavior. Hence, mesh, bird netting, and low current electrical barriers have been tested so far as the most effective bird-control devices. These long lasting systems and high quality materials used have the greatest return on investment, especially since bird problems are likely to continue year after year. So, it is a good idea to invest wisely and deal with bird-control effectively. After all who would like to see the fruits of their hard labor being wasted away under the nuisance and attack of these pest birds. As they say prevention is always better than cure, so what better than to opt for bird netting early on and have a relaxed harvesting!