How to Keep Birds Away from Tomatoes

[james bond007]

help my tomatoes are growing great but my problem is that the birds are eating them before they have ripened.

How do other people solve this problem.

Thank you

Ian

[grandpasrose]

You could try putting chicken wire, or something with a fine mesh over them so the birds can't get to them. Or you could cover your tomatoes with remay cloth. The only way to stop the birds from getting your tomatoes is to make them unreachable to them.
Hope this helps and you get a bountiful crop of RIPE tomatoes!

Val

[james bond007]

Thanks for you email and suggestions. I have one question what is remay cloth and where would I get it from?

Thanks again Ian

[grandpasrose]

No problem Ian, that's what we're here for!
Remay cloth is an opaque, finely spun polyester that you can spread over your plants, and it kind of floats on top. It allows water and light in, and keeps heat in, but keeps bugs, birds, etc. out. It can be purchased at any garden centre or nursery, or seed company.
Best of luck!

Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

Nice work Val...

[grandpasrose]

Thanks Scott! Glad to see you're back!

[james bond007]

Thank you Val,

I will have a look for it tomorrow. I will let you know how I go.

Ian

[grandpasrose]

Great! Let me know if it does the trick. You shouldn't have any problems using it. Feel free to stop in anytime!

Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hopefully we can get this done without using that license to kill...



HG

[james bond007]

I got my self some bird netting and it seems to be doing the trick
so I do not have to use the that license to kill...

thanks everone,

Ian

[grandpasrose]

You are most welcome! That's why we're here. Glad it has worked out for you. Feel free to stop in again anytime!

Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

Try the formula at the end of this thread, might help...

[url]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=161&start=15[/url]

HG

[greenboy]

mirrors or shinning objets hanging around the tomatoes patch is more than enough, but you have to change them form one part of the patch to another once in a while.
Artificial cats and owls do the trick also but you must change places all the time, remember they are birds and they are not stupid.
Now if you have the time the money and the desiere. And this is use very often here in Pennsylvania, among the grape-wine growers, they put a bird in a cage and they aterrorise it and they tape this bird screaming from help. let the bird go, and then they play again and again the distress
bird screams. believe me there is nothing to scare more a bird than another bird screaming for help.

[opabinia51]

I can't say that I agree with this method as incurring stress on birds like you described will most likely lead to them dying.

[The Helpful Gardener]

My friends live next to a vineyard using the tape loops and the birds become somewhat enured, although NOONE could get used to that sound altogether; really horrid! And when the season gets close, the automatic gun starts. I have a case of neerves when I leave there in late summer...

HG

[opabinia51]

Some friends of mine just use netting to keep birds away from their tomatoes and peas. Works like a charm. No fuss, no muss.

[Dedee]

I have heard that hanging red christmas ornament balls on the plants helps. The birds try to pecking on the balls only to realize they wont get a meal and eventually stay away. I have yet to try this. However anything organic is worth trying.

[bunge]

I feed the birds, (sunflower seeds) in several feeders all over my yard. Some feeders are close to our gardens too. I've never had a bird peck at any fruit or veggies. They had rather eat sunflower seeds I think.
We have many kinds of birds that we feed & watch, and have bird baths close to the feeders so they can get water.
Maybe if you feed them something that they like, they won't be so hungry for human food. But I'm no expert!
Just a thought....???

[WAYNE BODKINS]

SOMETNING THAT WORKED FOR ME WAS TO HANG SMALL ALUMINUM PIE PANS ON STRINGS BETWEEN MY PLANTS THAT FLUTTERED IN THE BREEZE AND KEPT THE BIRDS AWAY

[otamot]

If it is dry in your area, you can try a birdbath or something else holding water that the birds can access. They might just be eating your tomatoes because they are thirsty.

[eshenry]

Even the laziest cat will keep the birds out of the garden. I also keep feeders around the yard, full at all times.

[jennifer_frye@bellsouth.n]

I know it's tacky looking, but I staple plastic grocery bags on my sticks that I tie my plants to and it scares the birds away. Haven't had any problems with them eating the fruit or pooping on my plants since they like to sit on top of my tomato sticks.

[Somethingtexas]

I actually found [url=https://www.gardeners.com/Bird+Netting/GardenPests_Birds,16319,default,cp.html]some of this netting[/url] being discarded by a neighbor.
This works in a jiffy. I just drape it around the tomato cage and keep in in place with twist ties or clothes pins. It is easy to put on and take off...



I've seen rolls of it at Home Depot too.

[para_chan]

I have real cats around my tomatoes and the birds still ate some! Gutsy mockingbird took chunks out of my tomatoes, right in front of the neighbor's cats (that we feed, so they chill by our house)

[WAYNE BODKINS]

HOW ABOUT A PUMP B B GUN AND A LITTLE PATIENCE?? DEAD BIRDS DO NOT EAT TOMATOES! (ha)

[JoeThumb]

I will agree with the earlier post, bird netting is the only effective solution to stop the birds from eating from your tomato plants.

I would recommend getting netting that has small opening so the birds do not get tangled in the netting.

[Grunta0]

12 gauge shotgun with rat shot works !

[Kristofer]

I agree with grunta..

[flyingfish2]

Feeders do not work on most pesky of birds, mockingbirds. They only eat insects and tomatoes javascript:emoticon(':evil:'). I like them eating bad insects, but don't think they care which kind they eat. Have resorted to net.

[bali]

Put an Owl and some cats out there.

Birds worst enemy.

[hendi_alex]

We love having birds visit our yard. A resident catbird was the only one that has ever tempted me to break out the pellet gun. Not really, but a very aggrivating bird! Had to net the blueberries that year as the one bird would strip the berries as soon as they got a little blue color. In general, my strategy is to over plant. We will share with the critters as long as they leave plenty for us. When protection is necessary, that lightweight netting is one of the easiest and most effective solutions IMO.

[flyingfish2]

bali, I have hawks and owls all around. Mockingbirds pester the heck out of them, don't think fake owls would do anything other than another place for them to roost on javascript:emoticon(':roll:')

[bali]

Build 4 walls around the garden.......

Put the netting over the top, Pray..........

[hendi_alex]

Perhaps you say that in jest. But a couple years ago I built a peacock pen for a friend. Covered on all sides and top by 2 by 4 weldwire. The enclosure is about 12' by 24' and 8-10 feet tall. Since that time have often admired what a great gardening cage that would make. Probably cost about $200-$250 but would last at least 15-20 years.

[bali]

See I arent all bad ........

Yes it was in jest.........



It did sound great for a patch .. In town precautions are need .. I are in the country....We still get pests.
Coons eat the corn.
Crows/robins eat the berries......Yes we do cover berries with a screen.
Need new ones this year ......I used ole sheer curtains.

[rascal]

try putting out red christmas bulbs c7 or c9 the birds try them and realize they are no good and they tend to ignore the tomatoes and strawberrys. but the sure fix is to wrap ripening tomatoes with a white paper towel and secure them with a clothes pin or binder clip. the birds will not see the red and the tomatoes rippen the same. the cd trick hanging on strings also helps also thick black rope coiled here and there looks like a snake they do not like that. I also set up a turkey decoy that moves in the wind. I do all the above and it works it may seem extreme but I put alot of work into those and want them for my family not the birds.

[soil]

how about planting more things for the birds to eat? they must be hungry to try and go after your tomatoes. we have birds flying all through our tomato patch eating caterpillars and such never any tomatoes. not only that they give little phosphorus bombs which grow better tomatoes.

[johnny123]

Get yourself a Red Ryder.

[johnny123]

Had problems with Canada Geese.
I got some wooden dog silhouettes.
Geese stopped coming around.
Maybe you need some cat silhouettes.