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Arizona Gardening

Birds eating my stuff!

18 years ago

The birds ate everything twice over! First the corn, then the cantaloupe, the cucumbers, the zucchini, the watermelon. I have peppers and tomatoes left and now I have 1/2 pepper and 2 tomato plants.

What contraption have you used to cover these so the birds don't eat them and be able to have the sprinkler water the garden? Otherwise, the entire garden will have to be a room of poultry fencing and it's about 20 x 15!!

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Comments (8)

crista
18 years ago
Be glad you don't have dogs, too! Mine are convinced the only reason I garden is so that they will have convenient snacks! I have used bird netting, like what you use over fruit trees, draped over the rows to protect from birds (well, and my own critters). While they still get what they can eat through the netting, it protects the fruit that is farther away. I know it's discouraging, except to birdwatchers, when you've worked so hard to have a great garden!!

Crista
usha
18 years ago
I have read that hanging CD/DVD discs on a string over the field helps. You may want to try it.
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tomatofreak
18 years ago
Sprinkle bird seed or hang bird feeders in locations away from the garden? Might work if they're too full to eat anything else. My neighbor had grapes galore and they all disappeared overnight. We think the roof rats are back. Birds or roof rats; which would *you* rather have?
eileenaz
18 years ago
This is kind of a pain to do, but the results are really good (if funny-looking). I pull socks or sections of stockings or pantyhose over my tomatoes and figs before they're ripe, and the birds don't seem to see them that way. If you don't have a bumper crop it's manageable, but if you have a farm, well, I guess you'd be fortunate to have a longer attention span than I do! I've never had enough vegetables or fruits growing so that I couldn't keep up with it.

Just don't use plastic or anything else that doesn't breathe or you'll burn up or rot whatever it is you're trying to ripen!
anrsaz
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for the info...I do have dogs (Danes) but they don't bother it...it's encased in poultry fencing.

Did the plastic thing on my things in pots. Thought it would keep my little plants oh so moist! NOT....fried them right up.

This year has been a learning experience. But if the bird netting isn't too heavy I'll just drape it over my rows.

If that doesn't work, I'll move to the next idea.
daisyr
18 years ago
Had the same problem, lost a few watermelon, tomatoes, strawberries and then I found a savior at Lowe's. Beneath the pesticide section down near the floor I found a great big plastic horned owl that mounts on a post. Set him on a post in the garden and no one messes with my vegy's. Theonly thing you have to do is move him once a week so the birds don't get too complacent with him. I was amazed...less than 20.00 and alot of hard work saved!
anrsaz
Original Author
18 years ago
That's a good idea too!
melaniandbarrie_bigpond_com
13 years ago
yes we have a plastic owl works well with possoms and rodants but to my surprise i had a nice crop of sweet corn one day the next my corn was GONE apparently the COCKOTOO'S like corn and plastic owl as they have eaten all my corn and thev owls head!!!!!!!!!!

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