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?

"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.
Netting works for birds but is a pain for weeding etc, old CD's/DVD's hung
up on a long cane like a fishing rod so they spin and flash in the sun
worked quite well for us as did video tape tied on stakes and allowed to
blow in the wind.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

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. I've seen them do it.

wrote:
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. I've seen them do it.

There are dozens of woodpigeons around here, I see them almost every day and
hear them constantly, but I ever suspected them....until I noticed the
cherry stones, although the squirrels did cross my mind too.
I've just streched out a load of fishing line above and to the sides of the
sprout patch, hopefully I might be able to save one or two but they do seem
totally decimated

"Phil L" wrote in message
.uk...
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?


Look at the roots. I bet you have either root fly larvae, or club-root.

"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

"Alan Holmes" wrote after

"Bob Hobden" wrote

"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.


That explains why our neighbour has just put up a bright red scarecrow. :-)

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

On 16/7/06 22:52, in article , "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.

Well, they can't STAND Ken Livingstone for a start!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

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.

On Sun, 16 Jul 2006 21:52:07 GMT, 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

Hang on, there's no chance it's rabbits?
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
http://www.jimscot.plus.com

Sacha wrote:
On 17/7/06 13:30, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

snip
Tom Jones's Magnum Opus is
by now obscured by their leaves, so doesn't play much of a role. Could
it be that the pigeons are now more interested in the wheat and barley
ripening in the fields a couple of miles away?


How do the neighbouring cattle respond to Mr Jones, though? ;-)

I've caught one or two reprising "Myyyyy, myyyyyy, myyyyyyyyy
Delilaaaaaaahhhhh" the other day. It was a bit disturbing, but I'm an
open minded neighbour.

Cat(h)

On 17/7/06 15:44, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:


Sacha wrote:
On 17/7/06 13:30, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

snip
Tom Jones's Magnum Opus is
by now obscured by their leaves, so doesn't play much of a role. Could
it be that the pigeons are now more interested in the wheat and barley
ripening in the fields a couple of miles away?


How do the neighbouring cattle respond to Mr Jones, though? ;-)

I've caught one or two reprising "Myyyyy, myyyyyy, myyyyyyyyy
Delilaaaaaaahhhhh" the other day. It was a bit disturbing, but I'm an
open minded neighbour.

Sounds time for a re-make of the Anchor butter ad!

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

On Mon, 17 Jul 2006 17:34:48 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 17/7/06 15:44, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:


Sacha wrote:
On 17/7/06 13:30, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

snip
Tom Jones's Magnum Opus is
by now obscured by their leaves, so doesn't play much of a role. Could
it be that the pigeons are now more interested in the wheat and barley
ripening in the fields a couple of miles away?


How do the neighbouring cattle respond to Mr Jones, though? ;-)

I've caught one or two reprising "Myyyyy, myyyyyy, myyyyyyyyy
Delilaaaaaaahhhhh" the other day. It was a bit disturbing, but I'm an
open minded neighbour.

Sounds time for a re-make of the Anchor butter ad!

Can't do Anchor Butter ads. Mandelson says they are against EU rules!
Daft sod!!
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
http://www.jimscot.plus.com

Sacha wrote:
On 17/7/06 13:30, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

snip
Tom Jones's Magnum Opus is
by now obscured by their leaves, so doesn't play much of a role.
Could it be that the pigeons are now more interested in the wheat
and barley ripening in the fields a couple of miles away?


How do the neighbouring cattle respond to Mr Jones, though? ;-)

I've noticed the cows around here boogy-ing to TJ, I asked the farmer if it
was a common occurence, and he replied, "it's not unusual"

Cathy wrote
I can vouch for both the guilty pigeons and the effectiveness of CD's
(Tom Jones Greatest hits is particularly good).
However, now that my brussels sprouts are good size, healthy plants,
the pigeons don't come anywhere near them - Tom Jones's Magnum Opus is
by now obscured by their leaves, so doesn't play much of a role. Could
it be that the pigeons are now more interested in the wheat and barley
ripening in the fields a couple of miles away?


Don't rely on that Cathy, I've seen full grown sprout plants have their tops
pecked out completely during the winter, and some people love sprout tops.
They also attacked the sprouts a bit too.
Luckily they weren't my plants.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK