Although my apple tree produces a lot of fruit, much of it in not edible. The birds peck a hole in each apple causing the apple to fall to the ground. How do I deter the birds from this practice?

Hi, redhed59!

You might want to try scaring them away with some noise or music. What about hanging some pie tins together in the tree to make some noise and large visual effect?

That's one idea, anyway...

Thanks!

You can spray repellants on the tree but they're of limited effectiveness and you have to wash all the fruit before you can use it.

Best option I've heard of is netting that prevents the birds from reaching the fruit. Here's some different vendors:

Fruit Tree Netting - Compare Prices on Fruit Tree Netting at Become.com (http://www.become.com/fruit-tree-netting)