Continue reading if you are considering growing strawberries in your home garden. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, which views strawberries as one of the “easiest and most rewarding” fruits to cultivate, they are among the most sought-after fruits. The issue is that not only do we humans adore them, but animals like chipmunks and squirrels also have a strong affinity for them. In his study on strawberries, agricultural expert Muhammad Sarwar argues that different animal species are drawn to the “foliage, fruit, root, and stem of strawberry plants.” There are a number of methods that are highly successful in keeping strawberry thief species out of our orchards without endangering the plants or animals.
In order to imitate this fruit, stones roughly the size of a strawberry are painted red, as ridiculous as that may sound. This must be done before our harvest is ready. What is this being used for? The animals approach the orchard with the goal of eating the stones, thinking they are strawberries. They eventually give up and realize they won’t be able to get food when they realize they can’t (since they are stones). On the internet, this method has taken off like wildfire, and numerous organic farming profiles on sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit share their great experiences with it.
A garden at home
Instead of eating chemically treated fruits and vegetables, more and more individuals are opting to eat organic food. Because of this, it is not uncommon to see home gardens with a variety of fruits and vegetables depending on the owner’s preferences. The strawberry is one of the most widely consumed fruits, particularly during the summer. The Royal Horticultural Society of the United Kingdom claims that in addition to being a fruit with a wealth of flavor and qualities, it is also “easy and rewarding to grow”.
How do I keep my strawberries safe from the birds?
The fact that strawberries are also a favorite fruit of animals like chipmunks and squirrels is easy to explain. Home farmers have thus been compelled to devise methods to deter these animals, which exploit negligence to pilfer the strawberry crop. The “foliage, fruit, root, and stem of strawberry plants attract several species of the animal,” claims agricultural expert Muhammad Sarwar. What can be done to prevent this? Just plain old.
Sawar, a researcher, suggests using painted stones. To replicate the fruit, all you have to do is paint stones roughly the size of a strawberry red. Before the real strawberries appear, the stones should be set on top of the strawberry plants. The animals will become confused as a result, and when they peck at the stones, they will discover that they are not getting anything useful. “The birds will naturally be drawn to the strawberries, but eventually they grow weary of pecking at the rocks and stop”.
The usefulness of stones
Numerous social media profiles attest to the efficacy of this method. The squirrels and the birds “will only try to eat [the rocks] a few times before they get frustrated” and skip that part of their garden, according to the YouTube program Keeping It Riel with Marilyn & Steve. “Everyone laughed at me for painting rocks that look like strawberries, but […] no crows,” Farmer’s Way wrote on Facebook. Reddit is another site that has gathered a number of testimonials supporting this method, however some have not been as successful. “It worked for the birds, but not so much for my dog,” one user wrote.
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