Plant Doctor Archive

Birds eating crabapples

WE have had a weeping 'Ellerslie' crabapple planted for 12 months. We were so sad when the beautiful little apples disappeared last season. We presume the birds decided they were too good to resist. Is there any way we can prevent this happening again?

HAVING the birds eat your fruit from crabapple trees is a real nuisance, as it is for your satisfaction that you're growing the fruit - not for the birds!

There are a few things that you can try to deter the birds from eating your fruit. Bird netting can be placed over the tree, although this is a bit cumbersome to put on/over the tree if it is large or tall. This comes in either black or white.

The other things to try are a scarecrow, disused CDs hanging on strings, or a bird repellant that you paint or brush on.

Even better would be to try growing some of the newer crabapples varieties which have been bred to resist bird attack. See WG Issue 96 for more information.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.