I've always had to cover mine with nets at the first sign of color on the cherries -- didn't realize that they'd go ofter the green ones as well. Must be really hungry.

Sorry to hear that you are having such trouble already! Certainly won't have expected it this soon. House finches have been the worst bird in my orchards. They do a lot of damage to apples. Did have a Stella cherry in Amarillo that wasn't bothered too badly but then again the cherries weren't that good.

I'm planning to cover my cherry block with 30% shade cloth when, if, any cherries arrive. May try to combine it with a rain shelter during the susceptible stage. We also have a lot of wind and some hail which the right shade cloth would help control. That is why I want to keep my trees to less than 10ft. I may just try to protect three trees or a nine tree block planted 9ft by 9ft. So that would be a shelter about 30ft by 30ft to cover nine trees. The shade cloth to cover that, top and sides, would probably be about $400-500. The frame to keep it up isn't to difficult to erect.

I also might do something to reduce frost damage; heaters or sprinklers. It's all a lot of trouble but friends and family sure do enjoy the chance to stuff themselves with high quality cherries when they come in. A 30 by 30ft block could produce several hundred lbs of cherries.

The Fruitnut

I feel your pain. In fact, I felt it even earlier than you did. House Finches are like a wrecking crew. They started by pecking the swelling buds on the cherries. Then, they started in pecking the various blossoms, especially the apples. I finally got smart and got netting which I'll use as soon as the cherries get a little bigger, although as if turns out we had a late freeze and I think I probably had about a 75% kill. Too bad because there were lots and lots of blossoms and I was anticipating a bumper crop.

Ahhh, the good ol' days when squirrels were cute and birds were your friends.

Guess it's always sumptin'.

I just ordered a case of 6 28'x28' BirdX netting sheets. There are plenty of cherries yet to save and I think this year *I* would like to eat the blueberries.

And now this morning I caught the little bast*rds swarming my bluberries and munching on all the blossoms. *8^O

I see now no finches will be allowed in our yard. My only suggestion would be surround. It's a clay you spray that "whites" the fruit and makes it unattractive to insects and birds. I make bags from the lightest weight floating row cover and train all my fruit trees real low and horizontal like the japanese. I staple them with tiny staples an attach over yes each fruit with paper clips.
No bug problems, no bird problems, so far perfect. good luck

tcstoehr
Does it look like this...
I suspected birds first, but later found out that it was
a caterpillar eating away in early stages of fruit development. Most will fall off, some stay on, [last picture]
Konrad

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