What needs to be protected from Pigeons?

[katrinaw87]

This is my first year trying to grow anything in my garden and I feel like I am getting overly paranoid about protecting my seedlings and plants.
We get a lot of Pigeons in our garden (always see one or two when I look out the window), I was going to net just the peas and brassicas but I have since read online that they will eat lettuce and strawberries too! Should I net these? My entire garden will be covered in netting! Watching videos online you never seem to see Alan Titchmarsh or Monty Don going crazy covering everything up lol!

[arpoet]

The flying pigs are the bane of my life too. After faffing about for years with sting, tape, nets and hoops and lots more things to deter them i have save a few bob up and just ordered a 3 meter walk-in wonderwall. ( Walk in Wonderwall ) Its coming next week so will give you my honest opinion on it.

[mrswadders]

it's weird but I've never had any problems with the pigeons in my garden, maybe it's because they pig out on the bird table!

[Martin H]

The pigeons aren't too bad in my garden, but in the allotment they seem to eat anything at all. The latest victims were a load of Acquilegia seedlings that had been overwintering in my cold frame. At home nothing touches these, not even slugs and snails ... but the morning after I had set them out unprotected on the allotment they had been savagely and brutally attacked. I suppose it could have been something other than the pigeons but that's where my finger is pointed.

They shred any brassica, lettuce, sweet corn, spinach, beetroot. They leave the potatoes and tomatoes alone; also the onions are safe once they are a few inches tall.

[Alison]

I net brassicas with fine mesh more for cabbage whites than birds as I only find the birds go for them in spring when there isn't much about. Never had them go for peas but suffer read bird damage if I don't net ripening strawberries (think that's all birds though). There are loads of pigeons about though but the hedgerows are plentiful and I think they prefer those. Worst bird pest has been some neighbouring chooks which are left to free range from a garage next door and gave done significant damage.

[cariann88]

When I use to have a back garden, I didn't have any problems with pigeons. In fact, I don't think I ever saw one when I was living there. I saw other types of birds tho.

[skeggijon]

I shove brightly coloured £land windmills and windsocks everywhere, along withe my entire CD collection dangling from angle canes. Not only does it seem to deter the little flying blighters, but it also means all the reflective plastic apparently makes my plot visible from space

[Alison]

I shove brightly coloured £land windmills and windsocks everywhere, along withe my entire CD collection dangling from angle canes. Not only does it seem to deter the little flying blighters, but it also means all the reflective plastic apparently makes my plot visible from space

Much as I love my crops I wouldn't sacrifice my beloved CDs for anything (nor my vinyl come to that )!

[Scarlet]

Pigeons are real pests in my garden, they will eat all brassicas, peas, they sit on my bean poles surveying their dinner I've had a few cause havoc in my green house too. They sit on plants and snap them.
They've damaged a few chilli plants in my green house over the years. I really hate them

[Lumpy]

We don't havy many but for us a pack of cd's strung along thick string and left to bounce about in the breeze has worked well.