# Tomato Eating Birds - *&$%#&#$(



## Brian P. (Feb 1, 2005)

I planted fall tomatoes, set them out on August 8th, and they look great. Big, healthy plants, full of tomatoes. None are even turning slightly pink yet, but the birds are going to town. Every day, 6, 8, 10 new tomatoes are eaten on. I know it's birds, you can see the beak marks. At this rate, I won't have enough ripe ones for a good salad. 

I have a bird bath near by, so it's not the birds going after them for the moisture content. 

I've tried tying gold/silver ribbons on the plants
I've tried an Owl decoy
I've tried rubber snakes in the plants

Way too big of an area to try to wrap in mesh netting, 2-foot elevated beds, 36 foot long by 12 foot wide and the plants are a good 4 foot tall.

Neighbor's won't appreciate pellet guns, air guns, etc.

And by the way, my duck/goose retrieving lab just lays under the covered deck and watches them !!

Any suggestions ?


----------



## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

try red Christmas balls on the outer edges of the garden or old cd's that can wave in the wind.

It is likely mockingbirds or jays or cardinals that like the color


----------



## Charlie2 (Aug 21, 2004)

*Birds*

I have my whole garden enclosed with monofilament net webbing. C2


----------



## 3rdbarnottoodeep (May 1, 2009)

Get you a yard cat. Solved the very same problem described for me. Dang birds. Wouldn`t be so bad if they would just eat on the same one, and quit pecking em all.


----------



## notoj (Apr 25, 2006)

CoastalOutfitters said:


> try red Christmas balls on the outer edges of the garden or old cd's that can wave in the wind.
> 
> It is likely mockingbirds or jays or cardinals that like the color


We use to do the red Christmas balls as well , hang them from the get go, they will try with no sucess to eat them, when tomatoes are ripe they wont even try `em.


----------



## Brian P. (Feb 1, 2005)

I'll dig through the Christmas decorations this weekend and see what I can come up with. But, the birds are getting the tomatoes while they are completely green, still 3-4 weeks away from maturity.


----------



## grandpa cracker (Apr 7, 2006)

3rdbarnottoodeep said:


> Get you a yard cat. Solved the very same problem described for me. Dang birds. Wouldn`t be so bad if they would just eat on the same one, and quit pecking em all.


Guess Brian does`nt want a cat. We`ve had them for years and have
a litter on the way. Country felines that know how to take care of
snakes ,rats and mice. At one time, all out cats had a big swirl on their sides
due to a cool looking Tom that showed up. Grey cats with a black swirl
on each side , had no trouble giving those away. 
I`ve always been a dog man but when I met my wife , I grew to like and
appreciate cats . They are pretty comical when they`re young.


----------



## boat_money (May 21, 2004)

panty hose, brown. kind of a pain, but they stretch with the tomato, and the birds don't see 'em. cut a small enough piece just to cover the fruit.


----------

