Hi Heidi,

I couldn't resist saying that. I see similar damage to some of my taller zinnias. Birds are most likely the culprit. They land on the bloom and are too heavy or come in too fast for the stem to bear the stress. In the case of sunflowers, the birds may be seed eaters.

You need some way of scaring the birds away. In the past I have had some luck using pinwheels on long poles. The pinwheels incorporate some reflective mylar, which creates a flashing effect.

There are other bird scarers, including the balloons that look like giant eyes. They are called something like "Terror Eyes". I have no idea if they work. The classic scarecrow might be worth a try, but I have seen pictures of birds perched on scarecrows.

ZM

squirrels can chew off the whole head and carry it off ... so i dont know why you rule out vermin .... it could be any of the night raiders ... though if they get all the way up there.. i dont know why they would stop and not take the whole ....

so birds are also a possibility in just making them fall over ...

ken

Birds were my guess, as well. They are just too heavy for the stalk.

Martha

Thank you. I know squirrels around here could take the Olympic gold when it comes to reaching places they are not invited, but even anorexic squirrels couldn't reach some of these heights so birds is more likely. Heidi

You have goldfinches! They can be pretty shy and blend in with the flowers, so you may not see them. They are fun to watch, though. Watch for them in the early morning. They get more tame/less skittish each year.