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Pumpkins, Squash & Gourds

Birds eating my pumpkin seeds

15 years ago

I planted a lot of different kinds of pumpkin seeds and the birds are plucking them out and eating them. Needless to say this is unacceptable. Any ideas as to how to stop this? I direct seeded. I am now starting flats in a protected area to plant directly in the garden when they germinate, but I would like a way to direct seed and protect my plants. I might add that I grow quite a few pumpkins.

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Comments (3)

orangeblood
15 years ago
I covered my bean seeds with chicken wire until a couple of weeks after they sprouted. But that was only a few square feet... not sure how much area you have to contend with.
lhendri479
15 years ago
I had the same problem with green bean seeds. I strung up some string and hung those disposable pie plates from the string. Just put a hole in the rim of the pie dish and thread a string thru. Then tie to your upper line. Make sure they are off the ground about 6 inches. The pie tins spin and turn with very little breeze and as soon as your plant have the secondary leaves they should be ok. If in doubt - leave the pie tins up. Save them from year to year also or start seeds indoors and put out with secondary leaves. They just want the seed I think. Any questions, feel free to ask. The pie tins always worked for us and I hope they do for you also.
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Oh, I needed that laugh! Yes, one bird finds seed and then proceeds to yank out his cell phone and call all the other birds in the area. Soon, every bird within twenty miles is out on the lawn. Flocks from the next state are just hitting cruising altitude and will arrive sometime tomorrow. Go ahead and try to scare them off. They outnumber you. Ever seen the Alfred Hitchcock classic? Move slowly and do not carry grain-based food items... Really, you'll be just fine. You dropped millions of seeds, the birds can't possibly consume more than several tens of thousands--or less than 1%. The scratching and pecking also helps settle the seed in contact with soil and cover it, increasing germination of those seeds near the one(s) consumed. Bird poo contains great fertilizer, so there's another added benefit.
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I heard these from people who claimed that they had the same problem. It's based on their observation that birds will not feed on germinated seed. 1)Sow the seeds late in the day and really water them in. 2)Soak the seeds in a non toxic coloring solution to give them a color; deep blue was her recommendation. 3)Sow the twice the quantity of seeds and get them germinating as quickly as possible. He felt that the birds were entitled. There was one guy who gave up. He put out bird seed when he put down grass seed. "The squirrels ate the bird seed; the birds ate the grass seed!"
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HU-531006852
2 years ago
I have the same problem. It happened 2 years ago but not last year. This year the seeds that are treated with a green substance were dug up but those treated with red were

not. I planted untreated seed and found that the birds seldom found them. It is the treatment that allows the birds to find the seeds.

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