Blueberry farmer Henk Onnink has been growing blueberries for close to 30 years, so he’s had the time to sort out which crop protection tactics work for him and which don’t.

He’s found that on his farm along Downes Road natural deterrents to birds and pests are the best means to keep his crop safe.

Noise scare devices such propane cannons, which often act as a flash point between farmers and residents living in rural areas, are not something he uses.

“We don’t like cannons. The cannons make a big noise and they don’t work well,” said Onnink. “And neighbours say it sounds like a car accident.”

Onnink said he doesn’t use cannons because he has trees around his fields which provide shelter to natural predators such as hawks.

The birds of prey are highly effective.

“When the hawks come, the starlings fly away right away,” he said.

“Sometimes you see them come down and take a bird. It’s always amazing.”

However, farmers with fields on Matsqui Prairie with no tree cover aren’t so lucky, he said.

“One farmer I talked to lost almost his total crop from the starlings.”

Blueberry grower and processor Gord Cheema doesn’t currently use cannons on his acreage, but he’s a proponent of the bird scare devices.

“They are a necessary tool for farmers,” said Cheema.

Cheema, like Onnink, has natural predators living nearby.

“We’re fortunate to have eagles and falcons nesting near our fields, but not everybody has that.”

Nets are often not an option as they are expensive, particularly for larger acreages, and impede mechanical harvesting.

What’s more, due to overproduction and the large amount of frozen product stockpiled with processors, the price paid for blueberries is expected to plummet this year.

“Right now nets are cost-prohibitive because the blueberry market has gone soft. It’s going to be tough for a lot of farmers to make ends meet this year,” said Cheema.

A field’s location can also dictate whether a farmer is forced to use a cannon, he said.

Blueberry fields located near dairy farms have to combat real problems with starlings.

Dairy farms have open grain sources that draw the birds, and barns provide excellent nesting sites.

“It’s ideal for the starlings. They get grain and the fresh fruit nearby. They have a complete diet.”

Cheema said he has successfully used the propane cannons to deter bird predation in the past.

Starlings don’t get habituated to the cannons if they are used properly alongside other deterrents such as hawk kites and streamers, he said.

The BC Blueberry Council has established an integrated bird management plan for farmers which draws on a variety of tools, he noted.

The council has a liaison officer assigned to mediate residents’ complaints of farmers violating the guidelines around cannon use. Preventing neighbour complaints of propane cannons is all about establishing a good communication system and following industry guidelines, said Cheema.

“We had a very good relationship [with neighbours]. We would explain why we were using them. We addressed any issues ... if we needed to make adjustments, we would.”