For along time I have fought to eat some of the strawberries that i have grown to no avail. the birds it seems have eaten more than thier fair share. but i have found a way too keep the sweet fruits without nets. pie pans work for a few days until the flying bandets get used to them. one day i was sitting on my porch when i seen a bird pecking at a glob a dried red paint on the side walk. it hit me. i then got a few dozen rockes the size of my strawberries and painted them compleatly red. when dried i scaterd the red rocks in the berry patch. the birds would come down pecking the rocks thinking they were the berries. by the time the berries came in the birds had lost intrest in anything red. granted they did get a few, but they are just trying to make a living too. but i got more than ever. hope this helps. now i need to figure out weed control lol. but thats another thing.