s^ 



^ 



nr^. F. s. RECEive; 



I UBRARY 



I AUG 2 5 1939 



United states Department of the Interior 

 Bureau of Biological Survey 



Wildlife Leaflet BS-141 



Washington, D, C. 



August 1939 



PROTECT i:gG BLUEBERRIES FROM A.AP-E BY HSRRING aULLS 



By Robert C, McClanahan 

 Assistant Biologist, Division of T/ildlife Research l/ 



Contents 



Introduction 



Blue^berry culture 



Daily habits of gulls . . . 

 Gulls in "blueberry fields . 



Page 

 1 

 1 

 2 



, 2 



Page 

 Methods of crop protection. . . 3 



Cultural practices 3 



Frightening devices 3 



Shooting 4 



Conclusion. 4 



INTRODUCTION 



For a number of years complaints have been received from blueberry 

 growers in Maine of the destruction of ripe berries by herring gulls. 

 Investigations' show that this damage does occur and that much of the 

 loss can be averted without great expense. 



BLUEBERRY CULTURE 



In Washington and Hancock Counties, Maine, abundant native growths 

 of blueberries occur in most woodlands, fields, and barrncs. In this 

 area there is produced an average annual crop of 160,000 bushels, or 90 

 percent of the v/orld' s output that is canned. After these lands are 

 cleared and burned for several years, a dense stand of berries results; 

 thereafter culture consists of several simple practices: 



1. The land is burned over a 3-year period, usufdly one-third of 

 the acreage each year. This stimulates new growth and results in a bump- 

 er crop the following year. 



l/ Prepared while the author was employed in the Food Habits Section. 



