Sparrows destroying peas and more !

[BUFFS]

I don't usually bother with peas but the man who lived next door used those kiddies windmills like you get at the seaside, with about 6ins of reflective tape on each arm so that they fluttered when the breeze blew, it seemed to work okay..

[Greenleaves]

I can't quite figure out how to net so that the peas don't cling on to the net so you can't get access for harvesting... anyone got any helpful pics?

Before I gave up growing them I frames and covered with debris netting as pease dont require insects to pollinate them. This was more about keeping the moths of rather than the birds.

[Bren In Pots]

I can't quite figure out how to net so that the peas don't cling on to the net so you can't get access for harvesting... anyone got any helpful pics?

Bee my peas grow up pea-netting that's in the centre then I fasten debris netting over the outer frame. I won the frame in a Vine competition a few years ago.

[lottie dolly]

1bee,when i grew peas at the lottie,the birds were a pest until,as i have said before,i had peas growing up chicken wire,i also had a debri netting fence around,with enough room to either lean over the top,or walk inside,insert canes inthe ground,and peg the debrie netting to them,also a separate bit over the top,it is easy to remove the pegs and put back after picking and weeding,you could also put the bottom of the net into the ground if you wish,to help keep things from going under.

[Marb67]

It's depressing to have to have mini prison cages all around your garden because of sparrows. They seem to want to peck at nearly everything now. All my radish I sowed, non have germinated except a couple with just stalks. Salad, spinnach is all under threat.

[damian1225]

absolute B******rds lol, they took an entire row of garlic off me and an unknown amount of onion sets too, such a pain like you say to have to cage everything.. wouldnt mind if they only took a bit id just plant extra to compensate

[1Bee]

Thanks Bren and Lottie.

[Jungle Jane]

Birds haven't affected anything here,i sowed peas,broad beans,onion & garlic at the end of autumn. Maybe the birds like the young growth of peas in the spring rather than my old leaves because there was three wood pigeons right next to my peas the other day but they don't touch them. I keep the seed/fatball feeders filled up all the time. I've only ever seen sparrows go for insects like black fly on a tomato stem & they're permanently at the feeders but once I pot up all my tomatoes with flowers etc they go in & out of the pots on a helpful bug hunt

[Penellype]

I've not had any problems with sparrows, probably due to the neighbour's cat, who is often on duty. However, years ago when I had a large vegetable plot at the end of the garden the birds used to attack the peas. My solution (mostly successful) then was to thread old-fashioned milk bottle tops onto black cotton and tie these onto the pea netting. Whether it was the aluminium glinting in the sun or the rattling noise they made in the wind I don't know, but you could try the same with bits of aluminium foil. People recommend hanging CDs to deter birds but I have not found them as effective as the old milk bottle tops.

[Mark_Riga]

I live in Cheshire, near Nantwich. Loads of sparrows in garden but never been a problem. The only problem birds are pigeons that go for brassicas. The main pest I have with peas is mice. They would eat the whole crop if I didn't catch them. I try to save my own pea seeds from one year to the next and they make it exceedingly difficult.

You could try covering the plants with fleece till they are may be a foot or so high if you think that they would then lose interest.

[Marb67]

I have moved them into a 3ft x 3ft raised bed with the same dimension enviromesh cover.

[Greenleaves]

Fingers crossed Marb