Bird problems

[Emeoba69]

So Ive had terrible bird attacks on my precious just ripening tomatoes. Ive covered the entire garden in bird netting, an old plastic layer of netting over the metal fencing and drooped regular bird netting over the entire patch that goes down past the plastic netting on the fence. As much as Ive tried to find and fill gaps, little suckers are still getting in. I killed two mocking birds I suspected of doing the brunt of the damage but my uncle who is staying where my garden is has seen little finches inside my new netting. Not seen evidence of squirrels.

For a quick cheap solution Ive tied some of my bigger bunches up with plastic grocery bags. I've heard people using nylon stockins too. Not sure if covering tomato clusters in plastic bags is a good idea, get too hot and cook them in the summer heat before they ripen? Ive also read that adding a bird bath near the garden might help?

[Labradors2]

You could also pick anything that is even slightly blushing to save them from bird attacks and ripen them inside.

Linda

[dmforcier]

NEVER kill a mockingbird!

[Emeoba69]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

You could also pick anything that is even slightly blushing to save them from bird attacks and ripen them inside.

Linda

I have been doing that. Kind of sucks the fun out of months of work for the prospect of heirloom vine ripened tomatoes being....non-vine ripened.

[gorbelly]

Are you certain it's birds and not rodents?

If it's birds, they're attracted to the color, since most of them except for scavengers like buzzards don't have much in the way of a sense of smell. So if you can hide the color change, you can usually keep birds uninterested. I wouldn't use plastic. Use something that breathes: cotton/muslin bags, old panty hose or socks, the organza gift bags you can buy at a craft store, etc.

It also can help with rodents, but only if there's plenty of other stuff for them to eat. It's enough of a deterrent that a rodent that can afford to be lazy will be lazy and not bother. But if you have determined rodents like hungry squirrels, they will smell ripening fruit and chew through a light covering like that.

I use organza bags on my figs, and even though all kinds of critters love a ripening fig, they leave the covered ones alone. The first year, I didn't cover the figs, and I didn't get a single fruit. As soon as the fig started to think about starting to ripen, it would get eaten up. Since I started covering them, I only lose about 1 in 20 to birds or squirrels.

Try putting out water for the birds. Sometimes, that helps, as a lot of bird damage on fruits is actually birds seeking moisture during dry weather. Water and a well-stocked bird feeder can help a lot.

Keep in mind that the birds hanging around your plants may also be helping you with pest control. Birds are a huge part of why I need to do so little pest control on my tomatoes. I welcome seeing them on/near my tomato . I may get a little bird damage on the odd tomato late in the season when youngsters are grown up and most birds have switched to a diet heavier in seeds and fruit, but they probably save many times more tomatoes from caterpillars.

Originally Posted by Emeoba69

I have been doing that. Kind of sucks the fun out of months of work for the prospect of heirloom vine ripened tomatoes being....non-vine ripened.

Most of the reasons why home-grown heirloom and OP tomatoes taste so great is genetic, not due to ripening on the vine. Store-bought tomatoes are bred to hold up to harvesting, transport, and storage, not for flavor. Varieties for the home garden, though, are bred for flavor. Yes, there can be a slight dropoff in flavor if you pick them very early, depending on the variety, but it's still going to be 10x better than supermarket tomatoes. If the birds are really that destructive, it's better to get a tomato that tastes 90% as good as a fully vine-ripened one than no tomato at all.

[brownrexx]

I have birds, including sparrows all over my garden but have not seen any damage to my tomatoes. The sparrows will eat pea plants to the ground but I have never had them bother my tomatoes.

I would also suggest a bird bath with clean water. If it becomes dirty and algae filled, they will not use it.

[My Foot Smells]

probably a good idea to find on which bird type is doing this, as from my experience, not ALL birds come to the party to feist. I have a problem with sap suckers and live on a river, have bird baths, bird feeders (away from garden area), water features, water fountains, AND the suckers still get me.

I have heard all that you have mentioned with varying success, and also have heard to hang red plastic Christmas balls on the cages early in the season. they see RED and peck on plastic is no fun and become psychologically altered - so "they" say.

I have also had mocking birds hit the maters too; but can't think of any other yard birds that engage in activity. I live in a flyway zone and on cypress infested river; get all kinds of raptors, exotics, and regulars - an amateur ornithologist; but only have the two species I mention tear up the patch.

Although futile and generally useless information, it does garner fodder for online conversation and bantor (such as this!); but gets you no close to solution. I try and pick earlier before they turn full red; as history indicates they usually like the mature vine red ripe tomatoes the best for pecking, ime.

good luck

[oakley]

Tomatoes are climacteric, like a melon and a banana. They continue to ripen once color
is noticed, the blush stage. Unlike non-climacteric fruits like an orange, strawberry,
grape.

Climacteric fruits do not necessarily need their host plant at a certain stage for ripening.
Final ripening under controlled conditions like a kitchen shelf in AC avoids weather
swings, and critters.

That said, it is your choice to prefer 'vine-ripened'. I can only harvest on weekends so
I often have vine-ripened and stages of blush in my basket. I prefer the mid-blush
stage as they do their final ripening much slower in a controlled environment. I can
choose the perfect firm-ripe fruit for fresh eating. Picked fully ripe I find they start to
go off and soft very quickly, within hours or just overnight.

If birds are getting into your netting it could not be secured properly. If it is loose you
will continue the killing spree as loose netting traps them. Not good.

I've used green/olive organza bags for individual clusters. Re-useable. Also made
organza sleeves for my cherry tree. (my big bird feast) ...at least I get a bucketful.
Used a desk type stapler to make those.

I use a king size bed mosquito netting for my blueberries. Fits over all five bushes.
It is on year three since it is only used during the few weeks of harvest. I use rocks to
hold it down tight.

[imp]

I have heard of folk buying those old sheer curtains at thrift stores and using them to fend off various critters that like tomatoes.

[gorbelly]

You can get a cheap box of footsox off of eBay. Perfect size to cover tomatoes. They're reusable.

[My Foot Smells]

Actually one trick that is semi-successful is to hang CD's on the cages. The light reflection does seem to spook.