Xref: kermit rec.gardens.edible:57327

dstvns said:

Hello,

I have some house finches on my feeder line. The sunflower-seed
mooches took a break and landed in my small corn patch and started
poking around! I had just planted corn & beans over there, and was
wondering if they were eating the corn kernels. Do they eat ants or
slugs? Because that's all that's over there, besides corn. Thanks,

Most likely. Cardinals certainly do, and other birds as well. They especially
like to pull of newly emerging seedlings (the kernals are all nice and softened).

I net over my corn patches until they are large enough to no longer interest the
birds. Easy to do, because I plant in 4' x 8' blocks, one plant per square foot.
I use four lengths of plastic water piping (set out crossed on each half bed,
like so: XX ) and drape them with bird netting. (Be sure to weight the netting
down with boards or pin it to the ground.)
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)