Cockatoos are destroying one of my trees, how do I get them to leave it alone?

 It is in a cockatoos nature to chew things. They do it to keep their beaks trim, to search for bugs in the bark and sometimes, we think, to simply alleviate boredom. Unfortunately, they often take a liking to chewing branches off certain trees such as White Cedar and they take great delight in taking fruit crops too.

It can be very difficult to deter them once they have started. As soon as you notice them, you can try scaring them off – make a loud noise or try a water pistol (or hose but don’t waste water).  You can also try:

• CDs or plastic bags tied to string and hanging from the tree
• Tie a kite that looks like a hawk or owl to the tree
• Strong bird netting covering the tree. Note it is best if the netting is framed larger than much of the tree so the birds can’t try to get through it.