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