Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →

Which Animals Eat Blueberries?

Blueberries
kazoka30/iStock/Getty Images

Humans aren't the only ones who find the sweet tang of juicy blueberries delectable. A number of common animals eat the berries as well. You can take various steps, from fencing to sprays, to deter animals from eating the fruits, however. Blueberry plants (Vaccinium spp.) are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 7, depending on the variety. For example, highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 7, and lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 7.

Oh, Deer

Deer family in field
MITSUHARU MAEDA/amanaimagesRF/amana images/Getty Images

Deer treat many garden plants as part of a backyard buffet, and blueberries are no exception. White-tail deer eat the berries, leaves and stems, but fencing at least 6 feet high around the plants can help keep deer at bay. Deer can also be deterred by odors that offend their sensitive sense of smell. One option is to hang strongly scented soap bars on posts. Deer also dislike the scent of mint oil, cloves and cinnamon.

  • Humans aren't the only ones who find the sweet tang of juicy blueberries delectable.
  • You can take various steps, from fencing to sprays, to deter animals from eating the fruits, however.

Bye-Bye Birdie

Eastern Bluebird
michaelmill/iStock/Getty Images

Bluebirds, cardinals, catbirds, robins, mockingbirds, mourning doves and wild turkeys all nibble blueberries. One way to keep the birds off the bushes is to protect the plants with plastic netting that has 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide mesh and that's suspended above and around the plants. The netting can be attached to frames so it doesn't touch the bushes. Shiny, reflective balloons placed around the blueberry bushes may also scare birds away.

Resident Rodents

Side View of Head Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)
CreativeNature_nl/iStock/Getty Images

Squirrels, mice, opossums and chipmunks also eat blueberries, but keeping the three smallest of these rodents out of your blueberries without resorting to trapping or toxic baits can be difficult. However, the use of fencing and motion-activated lights may dissuade the nocturnal opossum from attempting to raid your prized blueberry patch.

Other Mammals

Young red fox surrounded by leaves
ASO FUJITA/amanaimagesRF/amana images/Getty Images

Several additional kinds of animals also eat at least some part of blueberry bushes. Rabbits eat the leaves, stems and berries. Foxes also have a fondness for the berries, as do skunks. Block these animals' access to your plants by enclosing the garden -- sides and top -- with chicken wire fencing attached to a wooden frame. Bears, too, like to search out the nutritious berries, but tall, sturdy fencing may keep them out of the areas where your bushes are planted.

  • Bluebirds, cardinals, catbirds, robins, mockingbirds, mourning doves and wild turkeys all nibble blueberries.
  • Squirrels, mice, opossums and chipmunks also eat blueberries, but keeping the three smallest of these rodents out of your blueberries without resorting to trapping or toxic baits can be difficult.

Related Articles

How to Keep Deer From Eating Blueberry Plants
How to Keep Deer From Eating Blueberry Plants
How to Keep Deer Away From Pumpkins
How to Keep Deer Away From Pumpkins
Are Emerald Green Arborvitae Deer Resistant?
Are Emerald Green Arborvitae Deer Resistant?
Do Deer Eat Holly Bush Berries?
Do Deer Eat Holly Bush Berries?
What Is a Bayberry Shrub?
What Is a Bayberry Shrub?
How to Stop a Deer From Eating Tomato Plants
How to Stop a Deer From Eating Tomato Plants
Animals That Eat Hibiscus Plants
Animals That Eat Hibiscus Plants
Plants That Resemble Blueberries
Plants That Resemble Blueberries
Do Foxes Eat Both Plants & Animals?
Do Foxes Eat Both Plants & Animals?
The Difference Between a Bilberry & a Blueberry
The Difference Between a Bilberry & a Blueberry
Berry Leaf Identification
Berry Leaf Identification
How Can I Get Squirrels to Stop Eating My Hibiscus Plants?
How Can I Get Squirrels to Stop Eating My Hibiscus...
Blueberry Plants in South Carolina
Blueberry Plants in South Carolina
Garden Guides
×