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Q: I live in Ladysmith, BC and have four mature fruit trees. Three of the trees (Asian pear, Burbank plum and much grafted pear tree) are doing reasonably well.
The fourth tree is a Gravenstein apple not so well and the neighbours tell us that the tree was never really productive. As we bought the property three years ago in an estate sale, the garden was not tended for a few years. We have dutifully pruned fertilized and dormant sprayed the trees for three years to get them in to “order”. we have shooed away the sapsuckers and treated the damage. We have discouraged the earwigs from the bark. In the spring the house finches arrive and fill the garden with song and this year I noticed them sitting on the fruit tree branches (particularly the apple tree) and pick off the buds — it takes them two bites and they are diligent!
I do not want to put nets over the trees as it is a very active bird yard. Is there something I can add to the dormant oil spray that would ward the birds off without harming them? Is there a spray I can put on the trees right now that would make the buds less tasty?
The trees are in the back garden on the north side of the house and are strung out in an east-west orientation.
There is no product I am aware of that you could add to the dormant spray to ward off the finches. There is also no product you could spray on fruit trees now to make the buds less tasty.
Your options are limited to using either some kind of netting or repelling birds before it becomes a habitual problem. I believe these birds are probably used to being on these trees. For example, try using string with CDs attached to them to scare off the birds as they swing with the wind. Or something that makes a loud startling noise. Whatever method you decide to use, I would suggest you be very patient and persistent. Try different ways. Do not use the same method all the time as the finches may get used to it. The finches did not arrive overnight, so don’t expect them to leave instantly.
Additional finch deterrents from Michelle Lam, GardenWise editorial staff: