Jerk birds...

TexasTycoon · June 26, 2015

This is the second tomato the mockingbirds have gotten to this week.

Any more effective way to thwart them aside from picking earlier? I was thinking about getting one of those fake owls. We're in an apartment with a patio garden, so not a ton of options.

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hoefarmer · June 26, 2015

I had good luck covering them with a paper lunch bag sealed shut with a clothespin. I waited until tomatoes were close to full size before covering.( I only had 11 plants) Women's nylons did not work, they can suck the juice right through the fabric.

efisakov · June 26, 2015

Put this one back covered with hot pepper. Spray all your plants with hot pepper as well. They do smell it. Would not come near it.
Squirrels ate 7 of my first baby cucumbers in one day. Not eating them again.
Just have to reapply after every heavy rain.

feldon30 · June 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasTycoon

This is the second tomato the mockingbirds have gotten to this week.

Any more effective way to thwart them aside from picking earlier? I was thinking about getting one of those fake owls. We're in an apartment with a patio garden, so not a ton of options.

I'd pick earlier. Vine ripened is pretty much a marketing myth. I've found that as long as I pick tomatoes that are half-blushed, they finish up just fine on the counter and taste no different.

Tracydr · June 26, 2015

I had a mockingbird doing that in AZ with hard,green tomatoes. I put out a water pan and he quit.

Tracydr · June 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by efisakov

Put this one back covered with hot pepper. Spray all your plants with hot pepper as well. They do smell it. Would not come near it.
Squirrels ate 7 of my first baby cucumbers in one day. Not eating them again.
Just have to reapply after every heavy rain.

I think birds actually like hot peppers.

efisakov · June 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracydr

I think birds actually like hot peppers.

Tracy, it was raining by us so much my squirrels did not need water, they just wanted cucumbers.

pauldavid · June 26, 2015

I have read they do it more during drought. Maybe try a water source for the birds.

Kikaida · June 26, 2015

Have you tried putting up bird netting? Got a bag of it for $7.00

AlittleSalt · June 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauldavid

I have read they do it more during drought. Maybe try a water source for the birds.

I agree, because I know it works.

Worth1 · June 27, 2015

Pick them at first blush and don't look back.
Twenty counter ripened tomatoes beats fifty in a birds beak.
Worth

pauldavid · June 27, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Pick them at first blush and don't look back.
Twenty counter ripened tomatoes beats fifty in a birds beak.
Worth

Definitely agree with that!

TexasTycoon · June 27, 2015

Well there's no room to put a water source, since it's an apartment patio (a very small one at that), and we live next to a pond so I don't really think that's the reason. We picked up a fake owl and will be counter-ripening the rest of the maters this season. I would put netting up (and I still will if the birds continue to be a problem), but I'm really not lookin to get my hands pecked off if a bird gets stuck in it.

Thanks for all the help, y'all! I think I mostly wanted to gripe about 2/4 of my tomatoes being lost to birds so far!

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Slg Garden · June 27, 2015

Birds were eating my peas and tomatoes. I got a silver Mylar balloon and some iridescent Mylar tissue paper that I cut into strips and tied to stakes (diy bird flashing tape). It seems to be working pretty well.

TexasTycoon · June 29, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slg Garden

Birds were eating my peas and tomatoes. I got a silver Mylar balloon and some iridescent Mylar tissue paper that I cut into strips and tied to stakes (diy bird flashing tape). It seems to be working pretty well.

Oh that sounds like a really good idea! Our fake owl seems to be doing the trick so far, testing with one tomato blushing on the plant that I'm willing to possibly sacrifice to see if this owl works or not. Been moving him to a different part of the patio each day, and every time we pick him up all the birds in the area start making a fuss, so at least he's getting noticed. He's one of the ones that has a bobble head that swivels in the wind, so maybe a little more realistic. If it doesn't work out, my FIL has some nets he's offered to let us borrow since they didn't grow anything but flowers this year.

June 26, 2015	#1
TexasTycoon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Round Rock, TX, Zone 8b Posts: 1,157	Jerk birds... This is the second tomato the mockingbirds have gotten to this week. Any more effective way to thwart them aside from picking earlier? I was thinking about getting one of those fake owls. We're in an apartment with a patio garden, so not a ton of options. Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk __________________ -Kelly "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." - Audrey Hepburn Bloom where you are planted.

June 26, 2015	#2
hoefarmer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: North Central Florida Posts: 110	birds I had good luck covering them with a paper lunch bag sealed shut with a clothespin. I waited until tomatoes were close to full size before covering.( I only had 11 plants) Women's nylons did not work, they can suck the juice right through the fabric.

June 26, 2015	#3
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Put this one back covered with hot pepper. Spray all your plants with hot pepper as well. They do smell it. Would not come near it. Squirrels ate 7 of my first baby cucumbers in one day. Not eating them again. Just have to reapply after every heavy rain. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

June 26, 2015	#9
Kikaida Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 258	Have you tried putting up bird netting? Got a bag of it for $7.00 __________________ Fun FIRST, safety second...

June 27, 2015	#13
TexasTycoon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Round Rock, TX, Zone 8b Posts: 1,157	Well there's no room to put a water source, since it's an apartment patio (a very small one at that), and we live next to a pond so I don't really think that's the reason. We picked up a fake owl and will be counter-ripening the rest of the maters this season. I would put netting up (and I still will if the birds continue to be a problem), but I'm really not lookin to get my hands pecked off if a bird gets stuck in it. Thanks for all the help, y'all! I think I mostly wanted to gripe about 2/4 of my tomatoes being lost to birds so far! Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk __________________ -Kelly "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." - Audrey Hepburn Bloom where you are planted.

June 26, 2015	#5
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I had a mockingbird doing that in AZ with hard,green tomatoes. I put out a water pan and he quit.

June 26, 2015	#8
pauldavid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NE Louisiana, Zone 8A Posts: 1,179	I have read they do it more during drought. Maybe try a water source for the birds.

June 27, 2015	#11
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Pick them at first blush and don't look back. Twenty counter ripened tomatoes beats fifty in a birds beak. Worth

June 27, 2015	#14
Slg Garden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Seattle area Posts: 76	Birds were eating my peas and tomatoes. I got a silver Mylar balloon and some iridescent Mylar tissue paper that I cut into strips and tied to stakes (diy bird flashing tape). It seems to be working pretty well.