Mockingbirds and Christmas Balls

[shelleybean]

Last spring, I believe it was Melody who suggested that people who were experiencing problems with birds in the garden try hanging red Christmas balls in their plants before the tomatoes were actually ripe. Hopefully, the birds would peck at the Christmas balls, lose interest in them, and then when the tomatoes started to turn, they wouldn't bother with the real deal. I tried this with a few glass Christmas balls last summer but the rain just washed the red right off and I was left with silver ones. So I just bought one box of 24 red, plastic Christmas balls at the drug store for $3.99. I really hope this works because I think I've tried everything else but a gun. I just thought if anybody else was like me and at their wit's end with the mockingbirds, now is the time to look for the cheap red plastic Christmas balls. Good luck!

[feldon30]

There is one thing you haven't tried.

[Worth1]

Now all you have to worry about is to hope the squirrels and crows don’t carry them off.
Sounds like it might work though.

Worth

[shelleybean]

OMG! Worth, you got me started on squirrels! I bought about $80 worth of pansies to plant around my pool in October. So I pulled out my fried zinnias, took out all the nasty pine straw that had fallen from my neighbor's trees, added a ton of compost, and planted all those pansies--Swiss Giants Mix. Those squirrels dug up the roots and all and stole all of them!!! Knock on wood, I really have very little disease in my garden for an area that's been used for about 12 years. My two biggest complaints are mockingbirds (and that just started in the last two years) and squirrels. I've started peppers from seed and planted them out in the garden at 8 weeks old and squirrels have dug them up and carried them off. Also, Blue Jays break them off at the ground and then just drop them there. So frustrating after you've started your "babies" indoors and looked forward to putting them out, as you well know, I'm sure.

[shelleybean]

You're right, Feldon, I have not tried a net. My husband suggested the same thing. But when you're facing a ten foot tall Aunt Gertie's Gold, you've gotta wonder who is gonna toss that net up there. I also don't want to crawl under a net to pick the cherries. Who knows, I may get that desperate and just build a structure to keep a net over the whole area all year.

[duajones]

Feldon, where might I get nets like the one in the picture?

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

You're right, Feldon, I have not tried a net. My husband suggested the same thing. But when you're facing a ten foot tall Aunt Gertie's Gold, you've gotta wonder who is gonna toss that net up there. I also don't want to crawl under a net to pick the cherries. Who knows, I may get that desperate and just build a structure to keep a net over the whole area all year.

From what I can gather, Shelley and Roy assemble the framework on the ground and then install it over the beds. Also, I imagine they have cut the netting open on both sides and then tie it up with string. I don't know. I hadn't really worked that out.

I made seven 5' cages out of that green vinyl coated wire mesh stuff. I love them, but it's impossible to reach in there and tend to the plants or get the tomatoes without going out with wire snips and cutting holes wherever you need them. So I am switching to bully's method which is to use the same material, but don't "close" it into a circle. Instead, it will be more of a C-shape.

Originally Posted by duajones

Feldon, where might I get nets like the one in the picture?

duajones,

Great to see you posting here! I've wanted to comment on some of your latest posts at GW but of course I was shown the door a few months back.

Anyway, I have seen bird netting at Home Depot. I am not sure if it's the same stuff, but it seemed to be reasonably priced at about $10 for enough to cover a 4' x 16' bed.

I did not have any problems with mockingbirds this spring, but I lost several tomatoes (including a promising 1lb Black Krim) to them this fall, so I guess I will be putting on nets (I'm aware the double entendre for next spring.

I was a bit frustrated to see this guy's post get no help. Nobody recommended a thick layer of mulch (newspaper and grass clippings and/or straw and/or pine needles) and Daconil anti-fungal which are the effective means to prevent/control the various fungal diseases. And there ARE solutions for spider mites. Suze has posted many ideas about them on this forum as well as, I think, GW.

[amideutch]

shellybean, duajones. Check out the following website.
www.biocontrolnetwork.com
Ami

[bcday]

I notice the netting in Feldon's pic is stretched over a frame.

Last year I had a long 6' high trellis of wire mesh in the garden and every once in a while I'd hear a "boinnngggg" as a bird bounced off it.

That's very different from the experience I had with bird netting just tossed loose over the plants one year. Then, several birds got tangled in the loose netting and died or were killed before I found them. Even getting a live bird out of tangled netting isn't all that easy. Kinda takes the fun out of gardening.

If I ever use netting again, I'll stretch it over a frame as in Feldon's pic. Hopefully the birds would bounce off it instead of getting tangled up in it.

[shelleybean]

Thanks, all!

[honu]

bcday wrote:

Then, several birds got tangled in the loose netting and died or were killed before I found them. Even getting a live bird out of tangled netting isn't all that easy. Kinda takes the fun out of gardening.

I had the same experience last year, though I tried to secure the edges tightly. I had too many dead or stuck birds last year, so this year I didn't bother w/ netting, but wrapped tulle around the fruits. Birds did not bother the greens, yellow/whites, or orange Sungolds, but went after the red and black ones. Here's a Ramapo F4 I missed covering

[shelleybean]

Honu,

I may have to try the tulle even though it didn't work for all of your tomatoes. Were the birds bothering the yellow, green and orange ones before you used the tulle? I did try those knee high panty hose things and they pecked right through them.

[honu]

Shelley,
Your nylons might not have disguised the fruit enough, or stayed too close or tight on the tomato, so they could still peck through. I wrap the tulle loosely, more than once if necessary, so that the birds either can't recognize the fruit, and the tulle puffs out enough so that it's not right against the tomato skin, so bird's beak can't reach the fruit. So far, it's been working, but is a hassle to do every fruit, but untangling trapped birds are even more of a hassle.

The birds have ignored the cherries, even the red and orange ones for some reason, but will go after Black Cherry, for some reason. Larger fruited red and black ones will be attacked when they start coloring up. They so far have never bothered the green and yellow fruit or the orange Sungold cherries, so I never bothered to cover them. However, I think a large fruited orange tomato would probably need to be covered. I think they watch for color. I read that green (unripe) tomatoes have a toxin, so could be nature's way to protect themselves.

[shelleybean]

Thanks, Honu. Well, I've worn more than my share of tulle as a bridesmaid for several friends and Lord knows it's quite puffy, as you said! I also tortured my sister and friends similarly at my first wedding. I may have to go to the fabric store and get some. My garden is much smaller than it used to be but I know from the knee highs that it's really a pain to cover each individual fruit. I grow so few plants anymore that each tomato is very valuable to me. I really want to keep them protected.

[honu]

Shelley,

I grow so few plants anymore that each tomato is very valuable to me. I really want to keep them protected.

I hear you, my yard is small, so I can't grow many either, and our humid climate and insects cut down on my fruit set, so every fruit is precious to me too! You can secure the tulle quickly using clothes pins or those trash bag wire ties, so I think tulle might be easier to handle than sliding on the knee highs.
If there is a cluster, you can just cover the whole thing w/ the tulle, not each one individually. I got the tulle for 89 cents a yard at Fabric Mart or Walmart.
Good luck!

BTW, tulle is also excellent to protect cabbages and other greens from moths, caterpillars, and other pests. I have tulle all over the garden, LOL.