Birds/pigeons

[jemma_charlie]

Hi How does everyone deal with stopping birds and pigeons from destroying your plants?

They have stripped rows of cabbages, broccoli and caulis and covering the entire plot with a cage is not an option.

I've put netting over some chicken wire over others but this will only be ok for a few more weeks, once the plants are bigger they won't fit underneath.

I've ordered some humming bird scare tape? has anyone had success with this?

Any ideas or sollutions to try would be really appreciated

Thanks

[bearded bloke]

Humming tape tends to spoil the tranquility for me,I favour suspending old cd/dvd from a long pole at various random lengths & distances apart.Worked a treat apart from the coldest part this spring,when hunger overcame fear & the buggers had everything that was green,air rifle is ready for this winter though.

[chris]

Perhaps a plastic bird of prety sited high, near the rows would help?

[Aberdeenplotter]

The birds get used to the humming tape so it is only a short term solution. I sling a plastic fruit net over my brassicas and that keeps of the pigeons and the cabbage white butterflies. I also use squares of carpet underlay with a slot cut into the middle to wrap around the plant stem and that protects a gainst the cabbage root fly.

[Two_Sheds]

I've tried all the options over the years: CDs, tape, flapping carrier bags.

The only thing that works is to net your brassicas

[jemma_charlie]

thanks, i was hoping to get away from netting everything as it takes longer to weed and is quite expensive to do the plot but if it is the only thing that works... Do you build cages so it is taught or just drape the netting over?

[Aberdeenplotter]

a few canes in the ground with plastic or juice buttles over the canes, covered with the net and weight the net down at the edges with stones, bricks, wood or whatever you can get your hands on. Aframe would of course be the ideal but no need to go to that expense.

[Aberdeenplotter]

ermhh buttles = bottles

[ladylottie]

[QUOTE=jemma_charlie;859943]Hi How does everyone deal with stopping birds and pigeons from destroying your plants?

Jemma

On my lottie site someone goes round with an air rifle every now and again but I still have to net everything - it's the only way.

[chris]

Debris netting is cheap enough on ebay, Jemma (scaffolding netting). Cheaper than the stuff you buy in the shops anyway

[Snadger]

I've got a nice little project for my Grandkids............they can build me a couple of scarecrows!
Even if it doesn't work, it'll brighten the allotment up a bit!

[Bren In Pots]

I use net curtains bought from the charity shops.

like the idea of a scarecrow

[jemma_charlie]

Thank you, I shall head down to the allotment in the morning armed with some canes and my box of plastic recycling that i forgot to put out :-)

I'll get some new netting as the stuff i have keeps getting huge holes in it where the birds are presumably forcing their way through

Thanks again for everyones help

[Norm]

If you have a local Morrisons, they sell the thin buckets their flowers are delivered in at 8 for 99p (for 8, read more like 20) Cut the bottoms out and place them over the brassicas. By the time the buckets need to come off, the pigeons have lost interest.
As for netting, the heavy duty black woven stuff is available cheap on ebay. It lasts for years and doesn't knot when you roll it up.

[jemma_charlie]

Thanks for the ideas, I've gone for shiny green bird tape and that seems to be working, will build some mesh panels to use next year when i have planned the layout better.

Thanks again