Last year I had problems with birds destroying some grapes before I had the chance to harvest them (full disclosure: I had several conferences last year that I attended while it was close to harvest time. I rolled the dice that the fruit would still be there when I got back — no such luck). This year I am taking no chances! Last week the bird netting went up on two of the four rows in the vineyard and this week the other two will be covered as well. Since the vineyard is so small, it was relatively easy to put the netting over the rows and secure it. Below are a few photos (taken by Richelle Stafne) of the process.
Throwing the netting over the row. It helps to be tall.
Pulling the netting over the vines to make sure it covers the canopy.
Securing the netting by using zip ties. Other materials can be used such as string, twine, or bread ties. The netting was tied to the irrigation wire with the zip ties.
The job is finished and we admire our efforts while sweating in 90+F heat and humidity.
The netting will remain on until harvest. Once all fruit is harvested it will be removed and stored for next year. Netting is an added expense to the vineyard and it makes management more difficult, but it is a necessity to protect the fruit from birds. There are different kinds of netting, some will last longer than others (and hence are more expensive), so it depends on an individual managers needs which kind to purchase. Tractor implements are available to help with this process in large-scale operations.
Birds are very big prob for farmers. Bird nets are the safest and cheapest way to avoid birds and hence saving the crops.
I agree with the fact that hungry birds are big problem for farmers, and to protect grapevines against birds netting are very important.
We really look forward for more post similar to this.