Champlain Valley - Grapemans' vineyard - Planting to small winery

[grapeman]

It is a series of bird distress calls through vineyard mounted speakers.

 

[vinividivici]

I was told by a commercial vintner that the bird distress sounds worked for the first three years or so and then the birds got used to it and pecked away at the grapes.

 

[grapeman]

That is the general consensus. Like I have said repeatedly about this, I am using it as an emergency backup only. I have been overworked, overstressed and short on time in the vineyard to do full canopy management and bird netting. I figure limited protection is better than no protection at all. Right now I need to make what money I can. The crops are hanging full and heavy and harvest isn't far away.

 

[Runningwolf]

I understand with any bird deterent is to not be consistent. Don't play it the same time eveyday and if possible play different speakers at different times or move them around. Another thig that works good along with that is the Bird of prey kites. My buddy has several of those he fly's on long pvc poles and they also seem to help (as long as there is a slight breeze).

 

[vinividivici]

That is the general consensus. Like I have said repeatedly about this, I am using it as an emergency backup only. I have been overworked, overstressed and short on time in the vineyard to do full canopy management and bird netting. I figure limited protection is better than no protection at all. Right now I need to make what money I can. The crops are hanging full and heavy and harvest isn't far away.

Wish I lived closer, Rich, to help you. Do you do manual harvesting or machine? Volunteer pickers?

 

[grapeman]

LOL,
I am the mechanical harvester. I do get a rare bit of help, but do about 90% alone by hand.

 

[Wade E]

Rich, I think you need to get a Falcon now!

 

[grapeman]

Here is a picture of 3 year old Marquette vines with side netting on. Notice how Irene tipped the posts quite a bit. It is about 25 degrees in this picture.

 

[DBell]

Shoulda got a Falcon!

Those grapes look yummy.

 

[gaudet]

Just play some Barry Manilow thru the speaker system and you might see the birds fall from the sky

 

[Wade E]

Rich, are you getting all the rain that we have been getting now? I truly hope not!!!

 

[grapeman]

We have gotten some more rain today, but the heaviest of it is yet to come. I have been figuring on beginning to work on an ark soon.

 

[Wade E]

We had it hard all day the other dayand mild on and off today and all the rivers are back to flood or over flood stage again. Glad I started salt water fishing this year as I have no idea when Im going to be able to touch a river again!!! Rich, Im sorry you are going to get this. Your poor vineyard has been through hell these last few years with the hail the other year and drought a year back if I remember correctly and now all this crap this year. It must a true love to keep going through all this every year!!!!!

 

[Waldo]

Has been, "Feast or Famine" everywhere this year it seems

 

[Wade E]

Oh man is it down pouring over here again!!!!

 

[ibglowin]

We couldn't buy rain to save our lives back in June and the beginning of July but we have had a really wet end of July, all of August and now even first week of September.

It pored like crazy last Sunday while I was grilling some steaks (of course) most of the night.

Poured like crazy for an hour yesterday with small hail mixed in at times. I had the S2000 at work and had to run out in the rain and move it under an awning until the hail and rained passed.

One Summer ( a few years ago now) we had golf ball sized hail so bad it broke out windows and destroyed any car it fell on (and there were plenty).

 

[Runningwolf]

Man I don't even know what to say except I hope you guys get a break soon. Our weather wet all spring and dry all summer and now it is just cooler then usual. My wife just got back from Penn State and said it rained the whole time but she only got the tail end of what all of you are getting in the eastern seaboard. Good luck everyone.

 

[paubin]

So how much rain did ya get Rich. We got pounded down here and everything is flooded still. Some of the towns across the border in PA are under 8 ft of water. Hope you are on higher ground and didn't get that much.

 

[rhoffart]

Oh man is it down pouring over here again!!!! 

Send it this way ... 100 year oaks are dying, haven't seen rain in over 3 months. Fires everyday. Half the people in the Hill Country have no water ... their wells have gone dry.

 

[grapeman]

We lucked out here and did not get the rains this last time. It stayed about 30 miles south of us and we only got less than a quarter inch of rain right here this time. Man have the grapes swollen up. They are about twice as big as they should be. They look like table grape clusters right now.