Alan Holmes wrote:
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Phil L" wrote...
My sprouts are being eaten and are showing signs of severe distress
(wilting despite prolific watering)...the leaves were becoming
covered in holes, so I obviously checked for caterpillars and
butterfly eggs, of which there was no sign so I sprinkled slug
pellets in the beilief that it was slugs and/or snails, all this
was about 3 weeks ago and I've checked them every day since and
squashed all eggs and caterpillars as they have arrived but the
leaves are still disappearing fast, there are no aphids or any
other visible pests, but I noticed cherry stones on the soil and so
I have come to the conclusion that it could be birds of some kind?
- do birds eat sprout leaves, if so which ones and how do I stop
them?
Pigeons do, and some, they leave the leaves looking like a skeleton
with all the soft green flesh pecked away but the hard stalky bits
still there. Not holes usually.

One method of detering pidgeons is to have something bright red
nearby, pidgeons do not like red things apparently.

And it does work, I had some trouble last year and put some red
plastic tops from jars, they didn't come near the things again.

Alan

I couldn't see Bob's reply due to a troll using the me@privacy address and
it ending up in my killfile, it's now removed.....The leaves do look like
like skeletons, the veins are still there but the parts inbetween have been
eaten...I've got some bright red plantpots which I shall put on sticks
tomorrow inbetween the 10lb fishing line which is stretched across them,
cheers both.

To Russel Sprout:
I don't know what either of those pests look like but it's a
possibility...I'm loath to lift them up now as they are over a foot tall,
and the plants were quite strong prior to the leaves going awol, I don't
want to damage the roots if it's not that and risk damaging the plants
further, but thanks for the suggetions, I shall do some research.