Will moth balls work with tomatoes?

[Wayfarer]

Ok even a full bird feeder isn't working this year - at least well enough!
And I can not afford to spend the $10 a week on feeding them.

They are going after even the slightly orange tomatoes and it is such a huge
flock of White Winged Doves that have taken over I don't even get the
Blackbirds, Jays, Wrens, & Sparrows anymore.

Has anyone tried hanging those moth balls from the tomato cages? Does it
dissuade the birds? Does it affect (adversely) the tomatoes themselves?

Anyone else having a lot of trouble this year too?

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )

[wws]

Just an idea.I would take my compost cage apart an make a tent for the
tomatoes.
4'x12'-1/2" hardware cloth.Can always put it back together,just wire.
"Wayfarer" > wrote in message
. ..
> About 3 feet in cages.
>
> --
> Marta
> (if you email me directly you need to remove the X )
> "wws" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Wayfarer" > wrote in message
> > gy.com...
> > > Ok even a full bird feeder isn't working this year - at least well
> enough!
> > > And I can not afford to spend the $10 a week on feeding them.
> > >
> > > They are going after even the slightly orange tomatoes and it is such
a
> > huge
> > > flock of White Winged Doves that have taken over I don't even get the
> > > Blackbirds, Jays, Wrens, & Sparrows anymore.
> > >
> > > Has anyone tried hanging those moth balls from the tomato cages? Does
> it
> > > dissuade the birds? Does it affect (adversely) the tomatoes
themselves?
> > >
> > > Anyone else having a lot of trouble this year too?
> > >
> > > --
> > > Marta
> > > (if you email me directly you need to remove the X )
> > >
> > >
> > How large are your plants?
> >
> > wws
> >
> >
>
>

[wws]

"Wayfarer" > wrote in message
gy.com...
> Ok even a full bird feeder isn't working this year - at least well enough!
> And I can not afford to spend the $10 a week on feeding them.
>
> They are going after even the slightly orange tomatoes and it is such a
huge
> flock of White Winged Doves that have taken over I don't even get the
> Blackbirds, Jays, Wrens, & Sparrows anymore.
>
> Has anyone tried hanging those moth balls from the tomato cages? Does it
> dissuade the birds? Does it affect (adversely) the tomatoes themselves?
>
> Anyone else having a lot of trouble this year too?
>
> --
> Marta
> (if you email me directly you need to remove the X )
>
>
How large are your plants?

wws

[Wayfarer]

About 3 feet in cages.

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )
"wws" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Wayfarer" > wrote in message
> gy.com...
> > Ok even a full bird feeder isn't working this year - at least well
enough!
> > And I can not afford to spend the $10 a week on feeding them.
> >
> > They are going after even the slightly orange tomatoes and it is such a
> huge
> > flock of White Winged Doves that have taken over I don't even get the
> > Blackbirds, Jays, Wrens, & Sparrows anymore.
> >
> > Has anyone tried hanging those moth balls from the tomato cages? Does
it
> > dissuade the birds? Does it affect (adversely) the tomatoes themselves?
> >
> > Anyone else having a lot of trouble this year too?
> >
> > --
> > Marta
> > (if you email me directly you need to remove the X )
> >
> >
> How large are your plants?
>
> wws
>
>

[B.Server]

On Wed, 04 Jun 2003 02:46:27 GMT, "Wayfarer" >
wrote:

>Ok even a full bird feeder isn't working this year - at least well enough!
>And I can not afford to spend the $10 a week on feeding them.
>
>They are going after even the slightly orange tomatoes and it is such a huge
>flock of White Winged Doves that have taken over I don't even get the
>Blackbirds, Jays, Wrens, & Sparrows anymore.
>
>Has anyone tried hanging those moth balls from the tomato cages? Does it
>dissuade the birds? Does it affect (adversely) the tomatoes themselves?
>
>Anyone else having a lot of trouble this year too?

For the price of a couple of weeks birdseed, you could buy a lot of
plastic birdnet and some bamboo poles to string it on. If you are
into fancy, use EMT or PVC to build a rectangle to which you wire/lace
the birdnet. 5 rectangles and you have a cage that is easy to move
for harvest or cultivation but should keep the little beggars out.

[Joe Doe]

In article m>,
"Wayfarer" > wrote:

> Ok even a full bird feeder isn't working this year - at least well enough!
> And I can not afford to spend the $10 a week on feeding them.
>
> They are going after even the slightly orange tomatoes and it is such a huge
> flock of White Winged Doves that have taken over I don't even get the
> Blackbirds, Jays, Wrens, & Sparrows anymore.
>
> Has anyone tried hanging those moth balls from the tomato cages? Does it
> dissuade the birds? Does it affect (adversely) the tomatoes themselves?
>
> Anyone else having a lot of trouble this year too?
>
> --
> Marta



The easiest solution is to enclose the fruiting truss in a nylon
stocking. The birds cannot peck through the stocking. This advice is
found on the aggie web site see answer 13 at:

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/vegetables/tomato.html.

I do nothing and have had minor to no loss of tomatoes (on one occasion I
saw a bird attack a tomato) but the birds clean me out on figs as I
mentioned in another thread.

Roland

[Hombre]

In article >,
(Joe Doe) wrote:

> In article m>,
> "Wayfarer" > wrote:
>
> > Ok even a full bird feeder isn't working this year - at least well enough!
> > And I can not afford to spend the $10 a week on feeding them.
> >
> > They are going after even the slightly orange tomatoes and it is such a huge
> > flock of White Winged Doves that have taken over I don't even get the
> > Blackbirds, Jays, Wrens, & Sparrows anymore.
> >
> > Has anyone tried hanging those moth balls from the tomato cages? Does it
> > dissuade the birds? Does it affect (adversely) the tomatoes themselves?
> >
> > Anyone else having a lot of trouble this year too?
> >

I wouldn't. Think about it, mothballs on cages, rain on mothballs,
mothballs disolve into dirt, tomatoes feed on dirt, you feed on tomatoes
enriched by mothballs.

Can't be good.

Hombre