Bird control in a citrus orchard, 2: Effectiveness of bird scares and netting

Ikeuchi, S.; Ogihara, H.; Ohmasa, Y.; Kubota, S.; Ohnisi, R.

Bird control in a citrus orchard, 2: Effectiveness of bird scares and netting

2005

Ikeuchi, S.(Ehime-ken. Fruit Tree Experiment Station, Matsuyama(Japan)) | Ogihara, H. | Ohmasa, Y. | Kubota, S. | Ohnisi, R.

We investigated the effectiveness of equipment for auditory and visual stimulus, repellents, and wrapping fruits for protecting a citrus crop from avian spoilage. Equipment that broadcast distress calls showed no effect against the brown-eared bulbul, but eye-pattern equipment with sound of explosive concussions that were set up 15m from a feeding station decreased fruits damage by about 30 to 40%. Use of bird-models combined with 3 kinds of bird-call showed high effectiveness against the crow. In case of dipping artificial bait in a repellent solution, the birds didn't feed. However, there was almost no practical repellent effect with volatilized smell only. Owl model decreased bird-caused damage by about 25 to 30%, but magnets set near a feeding station had no detectable effect against the brown-eared bulbul. Wrapping the fruits in translucent red, white or light blue bags were ineffective in preventing damage, but green or blue green bags that are similar in color to the citrus leaves had less damage. However, wrapping in green paper bags before the coloring of fruits of citrus cultivar 'Kiyomi' had a tendency to adversely affect rind color. Wrapping the fruits in polyester netting clearly gave better control than paper bags. There is a possibility that the effectiveness of these measures will decrease because of habituation of the birds over the course of long-term use, necessitating that their application be limited to use only when necessary.

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