Figs are a delicious fruit that many gardeners love to grow. However, birds also love feasting on ripe figs. If you want to enjoy the figs from your own trees you’ll need to take steps to protect them from birds. There are several effective methods to keep birds away from your fig trees.
Why Birds Love Figs
Figs have a sweet flavor and soft texture that birds find irresistible. Their small size makes them an easy snack. Birds like crows, grackles, robins, jays, and even woodpeckers will happily devour ripe figs right off the tree. They may even peck unripe green figs, damaging the developing fruits.
Unprotected fig trees can quickly be stripped of fruit by a flock of hungry birds. If you want any figs for yourself, it’s crucial to shield them from birds
Physical Barriers
One strategy is to set up physical barriers around fig trees to block birds from getting to the fruit. This can be done in a couple ways:
Netting
Covering fig trees with netting is very effective at keeping birds away. Use netting with small openings that birds can’t squeeze through. Drape the netting over the entire tree, anchoring it to the ground so birds can’t get underneath.
Pros
- Creates a full barrier from birds.
- Reusable for many years.
- Allows sunlight and airflow.
Cons:
- More expensive upfront cost.
- Time-consuming to install.
- Not attractive visually.
Organza Bags
Slip tiny organza drawstring bags over each fig to create a protective barrier around individual fruits.
Pros:
- Very inexpensive.
- Also protects from insects.
- No setup required.
Cons:
- Must be applied to each fig separately.
- Makes inspecting ripeness difficult.
- Not practical for trees with hundreds of figs.
Scare Tactics
You can also use various scare tactics to frighten birds away from fig trees. Methods include:
Reflective Deterrents
Hang shiny objects around trees that move in the breeze and reflect light. Old CDs or aluminum pie pans work well. The flashing reflections startle birds.
Scarecrow Sprinklers
Motion-activated sprinklers detect birds when they land in a tree and give them a startling but harmless spray of water.
Fake Predators
Place lifelike fake owls, hawks, or snakes in trees. Birds will avoid areas where they perceive predators are lurking.
Noisemakers
Wind chimes, bells, or clackers disturbed by breeze create sounds that bother birds.
Pros:
- Usually inexpensive DIY solutions.
- Can be combined for increased effectiveness.
Cons:
- Less reliable than exclusion methods.
- Require ongoing maintenance and monitoring.
- Can be disturbed by wind or damaged by weather.
Bird Behavior Modification
You can make your yard less attractive to birds by manipulating their behavior patterns.
Offer Alternative Food Sources
Put up bird feeders and birdbaths away from fig trees. Birds may choose to visit those sites rather than your fruit trees.
Pick Figs Early
Remove ripe figs from trees promptly. Don’t allow fruit to linger and attract birds. Pick figs when slightly underripe. They’ll finish ripening off the tree.
Prune Branches
Prune upper branches that birds perch on for easy access to fruit. Pruning interior branches also improves air circulation and harvest access.
Harvest Early and Late in Day
Birds are most active mid-morning through late afternoon. Pick figs very early and in evening when there are fewer birds.
Pros:
- Requires minimal investment.
- Makes yard less hospitable to birds.
Cons:
- Not as reliable as exclusion solutions.
- Requires diligent monitoring and maintenance.
Repellent Sprays
Apply liquid bird repellent sprays to fig leaves and fruits. The smell and taste deter birds from landing and eating figs.
- Choose non-toxic, EPA-approved formulas safe for fruit trees.
- Reapply regularly according to product instructions.
- May need to respray after rain.
Pros:
- Simple and fast application.
- No equipment to install.
Cons:
- Effects wear off so respraying is required.
- Rain can diminish effectiveness.
- Some formulas may alter taste of fruit.
Combining Methods
The best approach is to combine several deterrent methods to keep birds away from your fig trees. Layering physical barriers, scare tactics, yard modification, and repellents creates multifaceted protection.
Try encircling trees with netting or bags over fruits, hanging reflective deterrents, keeping bushes pruned away from trees, applying bird repellent spray, and picking figs very promptly when ripe. The more tactics used, the better protected your fig crop will be.
Be aware that clever and hungry birds may eventually overcome single control methods. Implementing a variety of deterrents makes your fig tree fruit an unpleasant, difficult, and scary place for birds to visit.
Persistence Is Key
Preventing birds from stealing your figs requires commitment and diligence. Birds can be quite stubborn about accessing a food source. You must be even more stubborn about deterring them and sticking to your plan.
When figs start to ripen, monitor trees daily. Look for breaches in your defenses that allow birds access. Check for any fruits missed when picking and remove them promptly. Scare tactics and repellents will need frequent maintenance and reapplication. Don’t get lazy! Staying on top of your defenses is the only way to succeed.
The satisfaction of harvesting bushels of beautiful figs will make all that persistence worthwhile. Enjoy fig jam, fresh fig galettes, and other homemade treats, knowing that you outwitted the birds to protect your fig crop.
Protecting figs from birds with organza bags
- Effectiveness: Usually effective against birds
- Cost: Inexpensive (approx 10 cents/bag)
- Time investment: 10-20 seconds per fig
- Bonus feature: Also protects against some insect pests
- Unfortunate drawback: They make visual inspection of figs tricky, so you may need to feel figs to determine ripeness
Organza bag overview: When it comes to keeping birds off of my precious figs, my personal favorite is the use of organza bags, sometimes simply called “fruit protection bags.” Taking 10-20 seconds per fig, this is a high-touch but very effective method that is great for newer fig growers who aren’t dealing with a huge number of trees. It’s not a good choice in larger orchards because you must individually bag each fig, and keep a closer-than-usual eye on them because it makes visually identifying ripe figs a bit harder. This is very difficult with hundreds of trees and thousands of fruits, but absolutely doable with up to a couple dozen fig trees provided you don’t let them get over ~7 feet tall. Note that organza bags work well for birds and flying insects, but not so much for squirrels and other rodents who will simply chew through the bag.
How to use organza bags on figs: To use organza bags for fig protection you simply slip a bag over each fig, pull the strings tight, and tie the strings with a quick overhand knot. When it’s time to harvest your figs, you don’t have to untie the bag on the tree to remove the figs. Instead, you can pull the whole thing off, fig and bag, since it’s much easier to untie the bags when they’re off of the tree.
Which organza bags are best for figs? You want to be sure to use the right size of organza bag, since there is the potential for the fig to grow larger than the organza bag, making it impossible to remove. A larger bag also allows better airflow and evaporation, a concern in humid locations. I find 4×6” organza bags such as these to be the perfect size for fig protection. Choosing green colored bags helps to camouflage the figs and might trick birds into thinking there is nothing worth inspecting, although any organza bags will be bleached by the sun within a season or two.
How to PROTECT Your Ripe Figs From BIRDS
FAQ
What is the best bag for fig protection?
Because we keep our trees pruned so that the fruit is of reachable height, the organza bags are the best choice for protecting figs from birds. It takes 3 seconds to wrap an organza bag around a fig: Let’s add another 5 seconds to find the next fig.
How do I protect my figs?
The more limbs and branches you have, the longer it’s going to take to wrap. Other growers will go a step above simple foam insulation and wrap the fig tree to protect it. They’ll use string or rope to bundle the branches of the tree tightly, then wrap the tree in tar paper, burlap, or some other breathable fabric.
How do I keep animals away from my fig tree?
Critters tangle in nets, but they don’t tend to tangle in chickenwire. If you really want to keep everything out, you could build a wire cage around the part of the tree that you want to protect. I personally just plant more and more food — my garden is a buffet, and the critters get to go through before I do.