How to keep birds from eating ripe tomatoes?

mari.beth · July 16, 2013

I had to remove A LOT of foliage off of my plants due to blight. Yesterday, since we finally had a break from rain, I went out to spray copper on my plants and noticed holes in two of the almost ripe tomatoes. This afternoon, I caught the culprit in action. As I walked out to water my asparagus, I saw a little brownish bird happily eating a big, almost red Italian Heirloom tomato. I do not want to do anything that might harm birds, but I am not sure of the best way to protect my tomatoes from them. Is there a type of netting that would be best that would not trap birds? Or, are there other ways to keep them from getting all of my ripe tomatoes???

joseph · July 16, 2013

Pick the tomatoes before they are "almost ripe". Let them finish ripening inside on the countertop.

**mdvpc** · July 17, 2013

I use bird netting, works very good.

**Lee** · July 17, 2013

Provide a bird bath nearby to give them a "better" source for water.

Lee

Dewayne mater · July 17, 2013

When I started using sun shade cloth, an unintended benefit was I stopped losing tomatoes to birds. Not sure if you need SSC where you are, but if so, you might try it. I assume the birds just don't see the tomatoes when flying overhead and keep on going.

Dewayne Mater

z_willus_d · July 17, 2013

My mother is and always has been a great sewer (or is it seamstress?) Whatever the case, she was nice enough to so me a number of drawstring bags made out of breathable satin or poly some such material. It allows the tomatoes to breath when surrounded. I tie these around tomatoes at first blush and then harvest and reuse the bag. There are never enough bags or time to get them all, so I still loose plenty of toms to the avions, but at least I can ripen some fully on the vine. The other problem one has to worry about then is water cracking on the fruit. If they start to seep and crack in the bag, you might have a real mess when it comes time to harvest the tomato since it doesn't breath quite as well as in open air and can get humid in there. Nice mildew/fungus machine.

You can purchase the bags online too (look for exclusion bags), but they're too expensive, I think, for what you can get. Especially when you have a great mom willing to help out.
-n

NarnianGarden · July 18, 2013

Surprised this hasn't been suggested yet: hanging red Christmas ornaments around your plants might frustrate your winged friends. They might just give up and leave.

mari.beth · July 20, 2013

Wow. I really appreciate all of the great ideas. I went out of town for a couple of days and came home to some ripe, bird-hole-free tomatoes. I am not sure how I got so lucky, but I am going to get moving on some protection as described above! THANKS!!!

Gavriil · July 21, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdvpc

I use bird netting, works very good.

That's what I'm planning on doing, thanks for reminding me starting to get som big green ones right now.

KathyDC · July 21, 2013

I tend to throw things out the back door, which scares them away, but I admit that's not the most scientific method.

Kathy

July 16, 2013	#1
mari.beth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 54	How to keep birds from eating ripe tomatoes? I had to remove A LOT of foliage off of my plants due to blight. Yesterday, since we finally had a break from rain, I went out to spray copper on my plants and noticed holes in two of the almost ripe tomatoes. This afternoon, I caught the culprit in action. As I walked out to water my asparagus, I saw a little brownish bird happily eating a big, almost red Italian Heirloom tomato. I do not want to do anything that might harm birds, but I am not sure of the best way to protect my tomatoes from them. Is there a type of netting that would be best that would not trap birds? Or, are there other ways to keep them from getting all of my ripe tomatoes???

July 17, 2013	#3
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	I use bird netting, works very good. __________________ Michael

July 17, 2013	#4
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	Provide a bird bath nearby to give them a "better" source for water. Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

July 16, 2013	#2
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	Pick the tomatoes before they are "almost ripe". Let them finish ripening inside on the countertop.

July 17, 2013	#5
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	When I started using sun shade cloth, an unintended benefit was I stopped losing tomatoes to birds. Not sure if you need SSC where you are, but if so, you might try it. I assume the birds just don't see the tomatoes when flying overhead and keep on going. Dewayne Mater

July 17, 2013	#6
z_willus_d Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Eastern Suburb of Sacramento, CA Posts: 1,313	My mother is and always has been a great sewer (or is it seamstress?) Whatever the case, she was nice enough to so me a number of drawstring bags made out of breathable satin or poly some such material. It allows the tomatoes to breath when surrounded. I tie these around tomatoes at first blush and then harvest and reuse the bag. There are never enough bags or time to get them all, so I still loose plenty of toms to the avions, but at least I can ripen some fully on the vine. The other problem one has to worry about then is water cracking on the fruit. If they start to seep and crack in the bag, you might have a real mess when it comes time to harvest the tomato since it doesn't breath quite as well as in open air and can get humid in there. Nice mildew/fungus machine. You can purchase the bags online too (look for exclusion bags), but they're too expensive, I think, for what you can get. Especially when you have a great mom willing to help out. -n

July 18, 2013	#7
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Surprised this hasn't been suggested yet: hanging red Christmas ornaments around your plants might frustrate your winged friends. They might just give up and leave.

July 20, 2013	#8
mari.beth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 54	Wow. I really appreciate all of the great ideas. I went out of town for a couple of days and came home to some ripe, bird-hole-free tomatoes. I am not sure how I got so lucky, but I am going to get moving on some protection as described above! THANKS!!!

July 21, 2013	#10
KathyDC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Suburban Washington, DC (Zone 7A) Posts: 347	I tend to throw things out the back door, which scares them away, but I admit that's not the most scientific method. Kathy