The Ultimate Guide To Protecting Blueberries From Animals

There’s nothing better than freshly grown blueberries, especially when you grow them at home. Whether you eat them fresh or bake them into a tasty pie, blueberries are one of the best options to add to your home garden. That said, you might notice some berry thieves as the fruit begins to form on the trees. Animals love these tasty berries as much as—if not more than—humans; as a result, they’re not shy about stealing them from your garden. Follow along for the ultimate guide to protecting blueberries from animals.

Animals That Eat Blueberries

Various animals eat blueberries, so you can’t do anything to stop them until you know who the culprits are. Here’s a limited list of some of the most prominent berry thieves:

• Mice
• Squirrels
• Chipmunks
• Bears
• Rabbits
• Deer
• Opossums
• Birds
• Foxes
• Skunks

As you can see, many creatures in nature are on the hunt for something sweet and delicious. Unfortunately, that means your blueberry bushes might be under attack—read on to learn various ways to protect your plants and deter animals.

Install Netting or Cages

Netting is one of the most simple yet effective solutions for protecting your berries from unwanted pests and animals. However, there are a few common issues you might run into. For instance, if you don’t secure the material to the ground, small animals, such as mice and chipmunks, may still be able to get under it to eat the berries. On the other hand, if you leave openings in the netting, some animals might be smart enough to find them and reach in to grab the berries.

Cages are yet another effective barrier to keep animals away from your berries. If you can’t find one big enough to fit over the tree with small-enough holes, you might be able to build your own. Consider creating a cube with thin PVC pipes to fit around the blueberry tree and wrapping the whole thing with chicken wire.

Hang Wind Chimes

Hanging wind chimes is an incredibly simple way to scare animals away. Although we think the sounds of wind chimes are beautiful, they cause many animals to run in fear. Therefore, adding this simple but gorgeous feature to your garden is a win-win for you! Windchimes will simultaneously deter critters and make your garden more relaxing for you and your family.

Set Up Scarecrows or Plastic Predators

You might think scarecrows are only for Halloween, but that’s certainly not the case. In fact, their original purpose was to scare pests away from large crop fields. If they work for farmers, they could work for backyard gardeners too. Consider putting up a few scarecrows around the garden to scare small animals away.

Another option is to put up plastic predators. An owl statue is one of the most common for gardens, as many animals see them as dangerous. No matter what you decide, using scare tactics to keep unwanted animals out of your garden can’t hurt.

Pro Tip

Consider moving your decoys frequently to trick the animals into believing they’re real, living beings.

Let Your Dog Roam

If you have a dog, you probably won’t need a decoy. Instead, letting your dog roam throughout your yard is one of the best ways to keep other animals away from your home. In the same way that dogs can smell other animals, other animals can smell dogs. As a result, small creatures are less likely to come near your yard or garden if your dog’s scent is all over the property. Even if your pup isn’t a guard dog, their presence might be enough to deter plotting creatures from stepping on your property.

Hang CDs or Aluminium Foil Pans

Even though this tip might seem silly, animals aren’t fond of reflective or shiny items because they associate them with danger. Therefore, hanging old CDs or aluminum foil pans around your blueberry bushes is an excellent way to protect your plants. Because they’re reflective and make noise in the wind, CDs and foil pans prevent most animals from coming near your property.

Use Predator Urine as a Repellant

As we previously mentioned, all animals leave some kind of scent, some of which comes from their urine. Using this to your advantage, you can use predator urine as a repellant for other animals. Whether it comes from wolves, cats, dogs, etc., applying urine around your bushes is an excellent way to prevent other animals from eating your berries.

Pro Tip

Be sure to reapply the urine to the area after rainfall to ensure a strong scent.

Create a Homemade Repellant

If you’re not fond of handling animal urine, consider creating a homemade repellant instead. Many potent foods and spices make great repellants, as small animals don’t like the smell. For instance, garlic, cayenne pepper, vinegar, cinnamon, and peppermint are a few household items you can use in the garden to deter animals.

Install a Bird Bath

Installing a bird bath is a great way to help birds in the area, but it might also distract them from eating your berries. Interestingly, birds that eat berries might not be hungry; rather, they’re thirsty. Therefore, a bird bath provides them with water so they don’t need to get it from your blueberries. This way, honeybees, birds, and other pollinators will have a safe place to get water, and you don’t lose blueberries in the process.

Plant More Than You Need

Even though there are many ways to protect your blueberry bushes from animals, you should also consider planting more than you need. This way, if animals do get a hold of some of your berries, you’ll most likely still have plenty for yourself. And if all your deterrents work and you wind up with extra berries, you can give the extras to friends and family members!

Hopefully, having the ultimate guide to protecting blueberries from animals removes any doubts you have about looking for blueberry trees for sale. Growing fresh fruit in your garden is one of the greatest joys, and knowing how to deter critters from eating it is one of the most significant keys to success.