Cherry thieves

[TrixC]

My little Vega cherry tree which was fruiting for the first time this year has been completely stripped of its crop. Literally every last fruit has been eaten and I can see the pits strewn around the tree. Is this likely to be pigeons? I chose this variety because it’s a white cherry and supposedly less attractive to birds I also have a morello cherry which fruits very well each year and never seems to attract avian attention, so I naively thought this one would be ok too.

[veggiechicken]

Its usually blackbirds that pinch mine.

[Chrissyteacup]

I didn’t see the culprits but mine have also been stripped! I must net a branch next year!!

[nickdub]

I get both birds and squirrels eating mine, waste of time trying to grow them unless you can provide full protection imo.

[ameno]

I get birds eating mine, blackbirds, I think. Sometimes they take the lot before they are even ripe, other years I get a fairly good picking before they move in and take the rest. I had wasps one year, too, but thankfully that has yet to happen again.

[Guest]

For the pips to still be there it is more likely to be smaller birds. Pigeons eat the whole lot and will also eat sour cherries then they deposit the stones everywhere

[FB.]

For the pips to still be there it is more likely to be smaller birds.

Blackbirds will swallow cherries whole and after digesting the flesh they regurgitate the bare pips back up.

[Guest]

Blackbirds will swallow cherries whole and after digesting the flesh they regurgitate the bare pips back up.

I love that we know some really random and quite gross stuff between us grapes. Learn something new everyday

I have told two people this year if they can see bumbles round their apple trees not to worry

[TrixC]

Yes I was wondering about that, I thought pigeons might just eat the whole fruit but in this case the chewed stones have definitely been left. It’s so disappointing, next year I’ll net the tree

[veggiechicken]

I have cherry trees springing up all over the garden - from the stones scattered from either a wild cherry tree or the edible ones in the garden.
Still haven't eaten any fruit as its all nicked before its ripe.

[Martin H]

A market gardener friend of mine says it's impossible to get a crop from a cherry tree. You need about 50 cherry trees, then the birds can't eat more than a fraction of the fruit.

Not sure this helps much...