"Mike Stevenson" writes:
My roommate seems rather concerned with the possibility of birds destroying
my developing crop of tomatoes. Only the cherries have started to ripen at
this time but he keeps warning me that birds will peck the fruit to steal
the juices within.

I can't grow tomatoes because the birds hollow them out before the
fruit even colours. It probably depends on your location (i.e., the
species of birds you have) whether it will be a problem for you.
Here (Australia) the bandit is a currawong--a bird very similar to
a crow, and just as crafty, inquisitive, and clever. They also pick
off strawberries. One year a lot of cherry tomato plants came up in
an abandoned bed (after the plumbers had worked nearby to unblock a
main sewer!) and I was amazed to find those plants bore heavily yet
were ignored by these birds. Whether this can be generalised or not
to later years was not determined. The cherry tomatoes ripened on the
'vine' and were delicious.

I am amusedly concerned. Is this something I really need to worry over, or
just another of his "bird brained" ideas?

I would be wasting my time stringing up CDs or anything like that.
These particular birds are not bird-brains! They are as intelligent as
any dog.
--
John Savage (news reply email invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)