Side panel netting seemed to work well. No losses due to birds, just squirrels running up under it.
We use side netting but still get hammered as we are in a combo riparian environment/mountaintop migration path. I’ve seen finches shoot right through the netting, starlings hang on wobbly netting and turkey’s burrow under the over the top netting. Incredible. Best thing you can do is just have people out there at the times when birds like to feed but we are small and can’t be there all the time. We even tried tenting for two years and found that to be less effective than just side netting. We’ve looked into the foggers as we’ll. I’ll report back on the dancing men.
Evan - You are right that multiple tactics are needed on birds. They learn quickly how to deal with one deterrent. Not many folks here have the propane cannons I think because of the noise generated in community settings. As far as side netting I would suggest to ask for a side net sample from Dubois Agrinovation(Quebec). It has smaller grid and is pretty strong. Here’s the link …http://www.duboisag.com/en/sidewall-net-against-birds-hail-and-wind-4534.html . More and more vineyards here along the east coast bird migration route are using smaller grid side nets. In our neck of the woods there is an NRCS program that helps fund the purchase. With side nets random dog patrol seems to keep the bird take down…Gary
Some of the vineyards here in Az have a real problem with pesty critters. Ultrasound pest control, fences, etc. don’t seem to work. I understand in some cases significant percentages of crops are lost…
Bit of an old thread but I will be in Napa / Sonoma during April and would be happy to help out eliminating some turkeys. Myself and my friends enjoy hunting them. Pm me if you’d like us to run them off for you.
We are happy to get liability coverage and we own a lot of property and have a liability release already drafted for our own properties that we’d be glad to sign in benefit of the vineyard owner.