Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It only attacks ripe ones. I found a half eaten green one, but I never find traces of the ripe ones. It has small teeth, incisors, because that one green berry was bit very cleanly and neatly.
We have deer, skunks, squirrels, and raccoons in the area, and God knows what else. But would any leave such small bites?
The bottom gets hit the hardest, but the top has been thinned as well. I can't watch them all day, so I don't know when the bushes get attacked.
If I know what it is I can use appropriate measures to stop it.
There are two kinds of blueberries where I live (highbush and rabbiteye) and both seem to get eaten mostly by birds judging by complaints I hear. Most of the upper damage will be birds eating the berries. Most of the fruit farms use netting, but people also use reflective mylar tape and CD's hanging on strings from trees nearby as a scare tactic.
What the birds don't grab might also be eaten by fox, skunks, squirrels, mice, chipmunks and, believe it or not, wild turkey. Any of those could make a clean cut through a blueberry.
What I've seen has been mostly bird damage in my area even though we have tons of wildlife. A local large berry grower has told me said he sees the birds sitting in the trees watching the bushes ripen and waiting for his back to turn. He also said he knows he will loose a part of his crop to them no matter what he does. The following is from a grower in PA that finds the same thing and what he does to deter the critters. It's a start. Blueberry Bonanza!
It only attacks ripe ones. I found a half eaten green one, but I never find traces of the ripe ones. It has small teeth, incisors, because that one green berry was bit very cleanly and neatly.
We have deer, skunks, squirrels, and raccoons in the area, and God knows what else. But would any leave such small bites?
The bottom gets hit the hardest, but the top has been thinned as well. I can't watch them all day, so I don't know when the bushes get attacked.
If I know what it is I can use appropriate measures to stop it.
The bottom thefts might be rabbit or bird but the top definitely is bird. Why not use bird netting and fence out rabbits or use a product like rabit scram?
not as fun as a .410 but I'll try it next year; no point now.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The following is from a grower in PA that finds the same thing and what he does to deter the critters. It's a start. 
