Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
enough of a bird population to help control insects without seriously dam-
aging your fruit.
Swallows feed almost exclusively on flying insects, often over fields and
water. They construct nests under building eaves, in barn lofts, in culverts,
and in cliff pockets. Chickadees eat seeds and berries, but much of their diet,
even in winter, consists of insect adults, larvae, and egg cases. Wrens are
aggressive birds that subsist almost entirely on insects. While wrens can be
valuable assets in an orchard, however, they also attack the eggs of other
cavity-nesting birds, such as bluebirds. Give some thought as to how well the
different species of birds in your area will work together in your orchard be-
fore building nesting boxes and other facilities to support them. Remember
to supply sources of clean water for your bird and insect beneficials. Bird-
house plans for many species of North American birds are available online.
Chickens
Chickens have long been used in orchards and gardens to control insect
pests. They eat adults and larvae and are especially valuable in scratching
up and eating pupae in the soil, including apple maggot. Unfortunately,
organic certification programs generally do not allow livestock, including
chickens, in a fruit planting within a certain timeframe before harvest. The
reason is to reduce the likelihood of human pathogens contaminating the
fruits. Organically certified tree fruit growers will need to remove the chick-
ens from the orchard at least 90 days before harvest, and bush fruit growers
will need to do so 120 days before harvest. In such situations, consider pla-
cing chickens in the orchard immediately after harvest to help reduce the
number of overwintering pests. Use pens and fences to manage the chickens
and protect them from predators.
Bats
Many bat species live on insects. The little brown bat, for example, is native
to the northern United States and Canada as far north as the Yukon. Bats
