There are many alternatives that berry farmers can use instead of
propane cannons. These quiet alternatives are listed below in an
ever growing list below.
Ban the Cannons has also put together a list of Solutions and Recommendations that have been presented to Ministry of Agriculture and BC Blueberry Council representatives several times since 2001. But nothing changes and the number of propane cannons in operation in the Fraser Valley continues to grow. Please click on the following link to read our Solutions & Recommendations.
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Nets,
our number one recommendation for bird control. Nets that totally enclose
a blueberry crop are
environmentally friendly, and virtually 100%
effective in protecting a crop from birds.
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Side Netting,
a variation of total canopy netting described above. This approach has
been used by an Oregon grape grower with great success and is described in more
detail
on our
side netting page.
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Automated Netting Systems,
are now available that greatly reduce the number
of man hours required to cover crops with nets, making netting a much more
viable option for berry and grape farmers.
For more information, see our automated netting page.
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Lasers,
a Cloverdale berry
farmer has invented a laser unit that is effective in scaring birds from his
fields. Lasers are totally silent and work better than cannons according to the inventor. The details can
be found on our
laser page.
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Streamers,
and reflective tapes, quiet and environmentally friendly.
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Mylar vibrating line,
a thin line that flashes and also vibrates and hums to
scare birds.
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The Eagle
is the latest silent bird scare device our group has found on the internet.
This device is a model of a bird, or eagle, that soars on a tethered line
and patrols fields up to 2.5 acres.
For more details, please visit our Eagle page.
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Overheads, such as Heli-Kites, Scare Eye Balloons,
and simulated hawks in flight, or large owl eyes.
For more info. about Heli-kites, click here: Heli-kite info.
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Hawk & Owl silhouettes,
similar to balloons and kites.
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Natural Predators,
one of our members recently pointed out that hawks and owls are natural predators
of starlings, and these birds should be encouraged by farmers to nest in the vicinity
of berry fields. I did a little more research on this alternative, and the details
can be found on our Natural Predators page.
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High frequency noise devices,
products that put out a high frequency
noise that humans can't hear, but birds can and are frightened by.
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Scare Windmills,
reflective windmills,
powered by the wind. The reflective blade surfaces
flash UV light that scares birds, silently.
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Inflatables,
recently a UK group sent us an e-mail describing their new bird scare
device designed initially for airports, by people in the aviation industry.
The device can also be used in other applications, including agriculture, and
is currently in the testing phase.
For more details, please see our Inflatables page.
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Metal and mirrored flashers,
such as hanging pie plates, mirrors, etc.
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Starling Traps,
to capture the little villains. A lot of sites go into the details about making starling traps.
See our trap page for more info.
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Professional Trapping,
recently one of our members came across a solution
used by Washington State berry growers to reduce fruit damage caused by
European Starlings. Their approach is described in more detail on our
Pro-Trapping page.
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Canine Patrols
used successfully by golf courses to discourage birds and waterfowl. Also
used at airports to deter birds for safety reasons.
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Repellents,
biodegradeable and non-poisonous please.
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The Owl,
a life-like owl model that can be positioned on a pole or along fencing
to deter birds. For more information, see our owl page.
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ScareCrows, which have been used by farmers for hundreds of years.
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High-tech Scarecrows,
A Canadian company has created 'scarebots' to ward
off hungry birds.
For more information, see our high-tech scarecrow page.
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