Eyespotted Balloons as a Device to Scare Gray Starlings

Abstract

A balloon (260 cm in diameter) with five eyespots (60 cm in diameter) was raised in a peach orchard and a vineyard to scare gray starlings (Sturnus cineraceus). The starlings were kept away from the ripening fruit. An operation period of only 2 weeks was enough to protect the harvest. 1 This study was supported by a Grant-rn-Aid for Special Research from the Ministry of Agriculture, forestry and Fishery, Japan (No. 57-1228). Contribution No. 93 from the Laboratory of Entomology. © 1983, JAPANESE SOCIETY OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY. All rights reserved.