On Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:59:02 -0700 (PDT), michael
wrote:

This is a follow up to a recent post by Pam Moore.We had serious
problems on our allotment site in the last two years with badgers
eating carrots,parsnip tops and sweet corn.On the latter they usually
wait until the cobs are quite ripe,and then pull the sturdy stems over
(badgers are strong) and eat the cobs.Pigeons also attack sweet corn
if they can find a suitable perch to attack them from-then the sweet
corn plants remain vertical with the husks eaten away on the plant.
I am just beginning to harvest my sweetcorn now and am in fear and
trepidation of seeing a demolition site whenever I go down to the
allotment.This year I have grown courgettes between the sweetcorn,so
at least have one crop if I do suffer damage.I have also erected a
cover of 6" square plastic netting as a canopy to stop the pigeons
flying in,and also to make it difficult for the badgers to pull the
stems over.
One other thing-if it is badgers there will be other evidence such as
a large dug hole (12" wide)used as a latrine.Foxes make much smaller
holes.
Let me know if this agrees with your observations
Michael

Thanks for that Michael. As you describe, the stems were bent right
down to the ground, and the corn totally eaten off the husks, some of
which were still on the stems, some off. The cobs were just ready for
picking; I'd had 4 or 5; delicious!!!
The guy who told me it was foxes mentioned a latrine hole on another
allotment, but I don't know the size. I must ask him. Interesting.
A couple of neighbouring allotment holders had put wire mesh screening
round their corn, about 4 or 5 feet high, with strong poles. Theirs
suvived. Plastic netting was trampled. Mine had no protection.
We have no deer in the area and certainly no wild boar. Nobody has
reported either.
We have a lot of pigeons about but they would not pull the stems over,
nor could smaller animals. Deer would eat them without breaking the
stems, I think?
There's no certainty. I've not heard anybody mention turnip tops but
carrots were the other crop eaten all over the allotments.
Good luck with yours.

Pam in Bristol