Birds eating my tomatoes!!!

[PrincessE]

I haven't had a problem with birds eating my vegetables until this morning when I found a partially eaten tomato. My first tomatoes are just starting to turn and now the birds have found them. Any suggestions on how to deter them?

[hendi_alex]

Probably the easiest solution is to buy some deer fabric, which is light weight black plastic netting. It can easily be draped across the tomatoes. Another strategy is to camouflage the tomatoes with distractors. Hang red Christmas ball or other red balls among the fruit. The birds will peck the fake tomatoes, will find them less than tasty, and will likely leave the true red tomatoes alone.

Birds or squirrels almost never bother my tomatoes unless we are having a pretty severe string of hot dry days. I think that the tomatoes are a source of water/fluid. If that is the case, then a bird bath or sprinkler on a timer, could draw the birds away from the ripe fruit.

[PrincessE]

Thank you Alex! I'll try to look for the deer fabric. I really like the red bulb idea but I don't have red christmas balls and I don't think I'll have any luck finding any right now. I did tie aluminum pie pans to a stick for now. My Mother said the noise and the reflections from the sun may help.

[GardenGnome]

http://www.amazon.com/96ct-Shatterproof-4-Finish-Christmas-Ornaments/dp/B003XJOO7A/

Hope they don't go after mine.
Someone said also like above give them a bird bath and a bird feeder. If there full they won't attack your stuff.