Sparrows eating runner beans and peas

[Marb67]

For the life of me I just don’t understand the sparrows of late that have started to eat just about everything i am trying to grow. Wondering why my many runner bean flowers are not fruiting I just witnessed the little beggars tearing off the red flowers and eating them. Ditto my peas also. Am I the only one with this problem ?

I cant win because if I net them the bees wont be able to get in them. What can I do ?

[Greenleaves]

The bees dont really need to Marb, most beans and peas are self fertile

[bikermike]

Frustrating as it is, I suspect the poor little things are very hungry at the moment.

[Marb67]

I love them really, and feed them but why they have to eat my plants too is a mystery. I try not to feed them this time of year as we are told not to.

[Greenleaves]

You can feed birds all year Marb, its what they are fed that matters

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wi...-garden-birds/

[Snoop Puss]

That was an interesting read, GL. Thanks.

Hope you find a solution to your liking, Marb.

[Jay-ell]

Marb - have you got any birdbath? They may be going for things that contain moisture as they'll be parched at the moment.

[Bren In Pots]

I've got no were near as many flowers on as usual I put it down to the weather it's too hot and not enough water.

[rambleberry]

I've been feeding the birds every day and they're *still* ripping my runner and french beans to shreds. I think they're actually going for aphids, and the flowers/growing buds are the unfortunate side-casualties. It's maddening, and I've never had, or seen, this happen before.

[Marb67]

Sparrows wrecking havoc again

Well here I am again with another year of sparrows causing mayhem, the very ones I am kind enough to feed. Not content with the seed they have not only decided to tear up my pea plants (which has caused a tiny harvest) they have now chewed off every red runner bean flower on my wigwam causing that to now fail to crop. For the life of me I don't understand why they have suddenly decided to eat more and more of my plants when they never used to touch them. I don't want to cover over everything the little g**s rip up with their beaks as the garden looks unsightly so what can I do ? is there something I can hang to put them off and no, we no longer have cats.

[veggiechicken]

I've merged your last year's thread with the new one, Marb.
Have you tried white flowered runner beans? I'm sure I've read that they are less attractive to birds than the red ones.

[Scarlet]

I'm having exactly the same problem bloody maddening! I'm going to try some canes with strips of foil....and yes I've got a bird bath and I feed them every day of the year.

[Scarlet]

I've got white and red...they are eating both. I think we have a lack of insects this year?

[Jungle Jane]

Do you think spraying the bean flowers with garlic might deter the bugs therefore deter the birds? Are the petals on the ground or taken away? I remember last year dahlia petals all over my ground but an aphid/ant invasion too,there’s a lot of pollen beetles about this year too,they could be after the insects not purposefully wanting to harm the flowers.

[Penellype]

You could be right about insects - I had a lot of aphids on my raspberries and the sparrows were pecking at the shoots and damaged a fair few. The blackbirds are now eating the fruit and I have had to net them.

I haven't any magic solutions, but I have had some success in the past with strands of black cotton, which the birds don't like because they can't see them. It hasn't helped much with the raspberries though...