Blueberries this year

[Brad]

Every year we have lived up here we have had cultivated as well as wild blueberries on our property. But, just as they are getting ripe the birds would eat them all up. It was rare to get any for us.

This year we have tons of large cultivated berries each day and the wild ones are starting to ripen. Why are the birds not eating them this year?

[Turd Ferguson]

Although I have no theory, I figured I could at least offer my 2 cents on the wild blueberry front.

Up here in southeast AK, our blueberries this summer have exploded in population compared to last summer. Not only are there more of them, but they are also bigger. This summer here has seen plenty of sunny warm days with little in the way of precip compared to the rain every single day last summer with cool temps.

Ok, now I have a theory on your situation. Perhaps the wetter than average summer has given the birds more worms to eat?

[Snow Miser]

Ok, now I have a theory on your situation. Perhaps the wetter than average summer has given the birds more worms to eat?

And probably alot more of all types of berries and wild fruits/seeds. Down here in PA the vegetation looks more like May than very dry August.

[Tim&Val]

All I can say is that we've never seen blueberries like this before either.

We're frequenting a local pick-ur-own, and we've got 10 quarts so far, with more tomorrow morning.

Mark also said that they were doing wonderfully in Rhode Island (and Natalie was making pies).

[mtruman]

Yes, they've been amazing here too. We picked three times and each time got 6 pounds in about 1/2 hour. Last Saturday there was no sign of them thinning out yet either. It's the one bad thing about being away this week. Hopefully the wild blueberries in Maine will be equally prolific.

[Jimmy Legs and Little d]

A bumper crop here also. We picked 38 quarts at a friends farm, which beat our old record of 36 quarts. Nothing beats a homemade blueberry pie, blueberry cake or blueberry crisp. UMMMMM!
We also came upon an abundance of wild raspberries this summer while hiking.

Donna and Mike

[Charlie]

. Why are the birds not eating them this year?

i would have to say its because the dog has bin peeing on them so i hope ypu washed them good before eating them

[Bill O]

This probably explains why blueberries are so cheap at the grocery store this summer.

[Snow Miser]

i would have to say its because the dog has bin peeing on them so i hope ypu washed them good before eating them

Don't pick blueberries by Charlie's house.

[Jimmy Legs and Little d]

i would have to say its because the dog has bin peeing on them so i hope ypu washed them good before eating them

Once we went to a"pick your own" farm to pick strawberries. We saw people eating the strawberries when we looked over and saw the local farm dog; a springer spaniel, peeing on the plants. Enough said.

Mike