Cockatoos are fond of fruit trees because they love to eat fresh fruits. Although, cockatoos look lovely sitting in a garden, but they also destroy the harvest. I struggled with the same problem for some time and after some research, here is what I found.
You can keep cockatoos away from a fruit tree by proving them an alternate source of food, covering the tree with a net, or scaring them away from the tree. The easiest way of scaring away cockatoos is using wind chimes, decoys, reflective CDs, recorded sounds of predators, or providing them an alternate source of food.
Now let’s discuss the in-depth process of keeping cockatoos away from your fruit tree.
Methods of Keeping Cockatoos Away from Fruit Trees
Choosing the right way to keep cockatoos away can be a bit challenging so I am going to list down all methods on a priority basis.
1. Provide Alternative Food Sources
Wild cockatoos come on fruit trees because they like to eat fruits. When they do not have access to food, they feed on fruits hanging on your fruit tree. If you provide them food in a bowl near the fruit tree, they will prefer eating it rather than damaging your harvest.
You might be wondering why would they prefer eating from the food bowl rather than eating fresh fruits from the tree? The cockatoo diet consists of a variety of fruits and seeds. Proving them a mix of sliced fruits and seeds makes it easier for them to enjoy different tastes.
This is the simplest way of keeping them away but it doesn’t work well if there are too many cockatoos in your area.
2. Suspend Shiny Objects near Fruit Trees
Cockatoos fear the rainbow glare produced by shinny objects like CDs, aluminum foil trays, and stuff like that. Suspending such shinny objects with your fruit tree can help keep cockatoos away.
Since the breeze keeps spinning the shiny objects, the glare also keeps moving. It makes cockatoos feel insecure and discourages them to come near fruit trees. This method is the cheapest way to keep them away.
3. Hang Wind Chimes or Ultrasonic Repeller on Fruit Tree
Hanging wind Chimes and other noisy objects is also a simple way of protecting fruit trees. Wind chimes produce sounds when the wind blows and the sounds frighten cockatoos. But wind chimes can be a bit annoying if it is too windy in your area. In such case, you can use ultrasonic repellers, they make sounds that are silent to human beings but irritating to cockatoos.
4. Display Predator Decoy Near Fruit Tree
Displaying predator decoys near the fruit trees can also help protect your harvest. Placing a fake owl or an eagle near the fruit trees can keep cockatoos away. Although the decoy won’t move it is enough to frighten cockatoos. (1)
You can make the decoy more frightening if you cover its eyes with something shiny like aluminum foil. As the eyes will shine at night, the cockatoos will fear it even at night.
5. Apply liquid Parrots Repellent on Tree Surface
Liquid repellents are very useful in keeping cockatoos away from fruit trees. All you have to do is apply this solution to the tree surface, it makes the surface sticky and uncomfortable for cockatoos. You can apply it with a paintbrush.
A plus point of using liquid parrot repellent is that it does not harm cockatoos; it just makes the surface sticky. However, it is expensive and inconvenient if there are several or large trees in your garden.
Another plus point of using liquid parrots repellent is that it did not harm cockatoos; it just made the surface sticky. Other pesticides can badly harm cockatoos, but they do not. By using this way, you can protect your fruit trees.
6. Play Recorded Sounds of Predator Near The Tree
Cockatoos fear predators like eagles and owls, and they like to maintain distance. Playing recorded sounds of predators can discourage cockatoos to come near fruit trees.
Apparently, this method works but the constant play of predator sounds can be a bit annoying for you and your neighbors. Though it helps cover a large area with just one audio player and speaker.
7. Cover Tree With Net
If you have small fruit trees in your garden that you want to protect, you can also cover them with a net from top to bottom. The net allows sunlight to pass through and also keeps cockatoos away.
When covering your fruit tree with a net, always also cover your fruits with a separate cover. Otherwise, the cockatoos eat the fruits from the net holes. Assemble the net in a way that branches of trees should are not titled and are appropriately covered.
Covering the tree with a net works fine but it is an expensive and time-taking process.
Conclusion:
Among all the ways, the best ways are proving alternate food sources near the tree and installing wind chimes on the tree. You can also go for just wind chimes but keeping in view the food shortage and rising global warming, feeding cockatoos can help in their conservation. Moreover, you might not want to miss watching them fly around.
