Last year, birds ate all my sweetcorn before it had a chance to grow and
ripen. What are some inexpensive ways to prevent or repel birds from eating
my corn and other vegetables?

Thanks...

Al

AL_n wrote:

Last year, birds ate all my sweetcorn before it had a chance to grow
and ripen. What are some inexpensive ways to prevent or repel birds
from eating my corn and other vegetables?

Thanks...

I use fleece for seeds and netting for fruit/veg that's a bit more
grown up. Try eBay for cheapness.

--
Chris

CT wrote:
Last year, birds ate all my sweetcorn before it had a chance to grow
and ripen. What are some inexpensive ways to prevent or repel birds
from eating my corn and other vegetables?

I use fleece for seeds and netting for fruit/veg that's a bit more
grown up. Try eBay for cheapness.

I throw netting (the more robust stuff, then reuse it each year, rather than
the pea netting, which rips) over fruit.

Never had birds eat sweetcorn before. You sure it's not rats? (OP, not CT)

"AL_n" wrote in
:

Last year, birds ate all my sweetcorn before it had a chance to grow
and ripen. What are some inexpensive ways to prevent or repel birds
from eating my corn and other vegetables?

Thanks...

Al

Tinfoil dangled on a bit of string works, up to a point, when they get used
to it they may scoff anyway.
You could try getting a stuffed bird of prey, and positioning it in a
threatening posture.
IME cover them with netting and your garden will look like an advertisement
as such!
Netting? I hate it, but that is the only way. And expensive!

Baz

On 12 Jan 2012 14:25:04 GMT, wrote:

CT wrote:
Last year, birds ate all my sweetcorn before it had a chance to grow
and ripen. What are some inexpensive ways to prevent or repel birds
from eating my corn and other vegetables?

I use fleece for seeds and netting for fruit/veg that's a bit more
grown up. Try eBay for cheapness.

I throw netting (the more robust stuff, then reuse it each year, rather than
the pea netting, which rips) over fruit.

Never had birds eat sweetcorn before. You sure it's not rats? (OP, not CT)

Jays/magpies will eat sweetcorn from the plant and any netting will
need to be strong to deter them - magpies will easily nip through the
weaker plastic stuff if they want to get at a food source. Strong
netting is the only real solution as they will very quickly get used
to any "bird scarer" type of thing and simply ignore it. I've read
that only 2cm chicken wire is "magpie proof".

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.

"AL_n" wrote ...

Last year, birds ate all my sweetcorn before it had a chance to grow and
ripen. What are some inexpensive ways to prevent or repel birds from eating
my corn and other vegetables?


As Vicky said, are you sure it's not rats and mice. We have never had any
eaten by birds but we have lost the whole crop to rats and mice in a couple
of days.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

wrote in
:

CT wrote:
Last year, birds ate all my sweetcorn before it had a chance to grow
and ripen. What are some inexpensive ways to prevent or repel birds
from eating my corn and other vegetables?

I use fleece for seeds and netting for fruit/veg that's a bit more
grown up. Try eBay for cheapness.

I throw netting (the more robust stuff, then reuse it each year,
rather than the pea netting, which rips) over fruit.

Never had birds eat sweetcorn before. You sure it's not rats? (OP,
not CT)

I'm not 100% sure. I assumed it was birds, because the cobs were
(naturally) above ground level...

Al

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:

As Vicky said, are you sure it's not rats and mice. We have never had
any eaten by birds but we have lost the whole crop to rats and mice in
a couple of days.


I do have mice in the garden. (My cat brings them in, a few per week)... I
only assumed birds, as the corn cobs were well off the ground..

If it is mice, what is the best way to keep them off the crop?

Al

"AL_n" wrote

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
As Vicky said, are you sure it's not rats and mice. We have never had
any eaten by birds but we have lost the whole crop to rats and mice in
a couple of days.


I do have mice in the garden. (My cat brings them in, a few per week)... I
only assumed birds, as the corn cobs were well off the ground..

If it is mice, what is the best way to keep them off the crop?


We use bait boxes around our plot and have 3 on the go always. Problem is
with a cat around any poisoned mice may poison the cat if he eats one. Traps
then but put those where the cat can't get a paw to them.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
"AL_n" wrote

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
As Vicky said, are you sure it's not rats and mice. We have never had
any eaten by birds but we have lost the whole crop to rats and mice in
a couple of days.


I do have mice in the garden. (My cat brings them in, a few per week)... I
only assumed birds, as the corn cobs were well off the ground..

If it is mice, what is the best way to keep them off the crop?


We use bait boxes around our plot and have 3 on the go always. Problem is
with a cat around any poisoned mice may poison the cat if he eats one.
Traps then but put those where the cat can't get a paw to them.

Please everyone, try not to use poison. I lost my tawny owl by poisoning
rats that came around the chickens.
It has a horrible knock on effect.
My cat isn't brave and only catches and eats the little ratties, so these
days if they grow into big ones, I get the terrier men in, they smoke out
under the sheds and a good day is had by all, except the rats. What I like
about this method is that they either escape completely or they don't.
I've had some big bad grandfather rats that even latched on to a terrier's
nose and made it squeal. Didn't make the dog let go though and it went to
that ratty heaven where everything is made of wheat. No cat could have
coped with rats like that. These were serious ratting terriers,
Patterdales, bred for the job. Good with humans but serious about killing
anything in their path. If I knew I'd have a rat hunt I made sure my cat
was shut inside the house otherwise he would be a gonner.

T