When we come across vineyard managers who experience moderate to severe bird pressure during their growing season, most of them have previously installed bird netting as a method to keep foraging pest birds out of vines. Birds such as starlings, crows, dove, and others will peck into grapes as early as veraison, taking advantage of the increasing sugar content being established within the grape. Bird Netting is an effective solution for protecting grapevines in both wine and table grape vineyards, and many growers still use this method, but the recurring labor & material costs associated with deploying this solution exceed well-vetted, cutting-edge technology solutions available today.
Bellingar Estates in Newberg, Oregon has found success in adopting the AVIX Autonomic Mark II Bird Laser Deterrent, an autonomous and effective solution to the constant bird pressure being experienced on the 9-acre vineyard. Evan Bellingar was previously using bird netting to protect his vineyard from bird damage, but upon discovering the Autonomous Bird Laser Deterrent, he decided to deploy a unit to cover his vineyard and see the results for himself. He found that the bird laser was effective at protecting his wine grapes, and as a technology solution, it would be something that he would see the ROI on in a season or two. See the full testimonial here.
Because the AVIX Autonomic Bird Laser is a modular system and built to withstand the elements, one can assume a decade's usage out of this system before an upgrade may be needed. In addition, with the unit being modular, parts can be replaced outside of warranty if needed, with the most common part needing to be replaced being the light module that powers the laser beam. For agriculture applications, this module typically needs to be replaced around the 5-year mark. This helps keep bird control costs down for growers.
Evan Bellingar posted about the success of his bird laser deployment on social media, which propelled viral reactions on Instagram. The original video has reached over 10 million people, globally. Check out our post regarding his video.
Reach out to sales@cypressagritech.com or call (661) 303-0513 to learn more about Bellingar Estates and many other vineyards who are using the AVIX Autonomic Bird Laser Deterrent.
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