Blackbirds and apples

[susie]

We are always inundated with blackbirds. They nest in the garden and around about the steading. They eat all my strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. I fight them for the gooseberries and they allow me to have some blackberries. They eat all the fruits from the fuchsia bushes and then turn to the woefully under-ripe apple trees. The apples are 2 months off being ripe and the blackbirds peck holes in them and knock them off the trees. Is there anyway to deter blackbirds? Any ideas at all?

[jo bowd]

If you net your soft fruit you'll keep them off, don't know about apples, you could try planting other things that they like, ornamental bushes like pyracantha or rosa rugosa as they love the hips. You're lucky to have them as they're great for eating slugs and snails in your garden, we only have one pair of blackbirds here.

[Kenn]

Can sympathise, even with netting and a fruit cage, I got 1 serving of raspberries, no currants but they have SO far not touched the apples. I agree with jo bowd, love to have them in the garden, have tamed a few with offerings of raisins and encourage them to eat bugs, slugs,snails etc.