BIRDS

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I had three pepper plants with the tops broke off. I thought probably wind, but worried about birds. Saw a grackle fly to test with something green and it dropped it, so went and picked it up and top of another pepper plant. I checked and now 4 plants have tops gone. Are they ruined? I am thinking of putting cayenne pepper on them. A couple of years ago I had to put netting over squash and cucumbers because of these birds.

 

[baymule]

The pepper plants will probably branch out and be ok. Put a tomato cage over them and wrap in bird netting. I sometimes use tomato cages on my peppers because the branches are brittle and the cage helps support them.

 

[thistlebloom]

What Bay said. Also hot pepper doesn't work on birds, they can't taste it.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Thank you. I was about to go out the door with the pepper. I will figure out what I can do. I do not have tomato cages and my crazy 93 pepper plants will be hard to cover. I guess I could get a few cages and cover some of each kind. I am glad I do not have my squash out yet. I will be prepared this time.

 

[digitS']

My daughter's stuffed cat has worked well as a bird scare. Lots of people buy owl and snake toys ... ("toy" snakes?). They have to be moved often. I found that once a day keeps, at least some birds away.

Grackles? I thought we had to cross the Rockies to find Grackles. Now, I've looked at eBird's map on reported sightings ..! They have been reported. Are they moving in on our Brewer's Blackbird range?

Anyway, they are both so aggressive that a scare may bring out their violent behavior. Still, they may stop thinking about harming plants, which in the case of peppers, make little sense to me. I have, however, blamed Magpies for the same sort of thing - pulling/breaking plants and dropping them. Wanton destruction and unneighborly behavior.

Can we all just get along?

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Lots of people around here hang aluminum pie pans on strings attached to poles, so that they dangle, blow in the wind and flash in the sun. This is supposed to scare birds away. Probably worth a try.
I have to put netting over my strawberry patch to keep the birds out. I just use the green tulle sold in the fabric department at Hobby Lobby. It lasts several years, but eventually deteriorates.

 

[digitS']

Hey!

I'd like to see a Blackbird fight with a PiePan!



Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Well, 6 peppers are broke this morning. I took pictures of the demon and maybe it is

a starling and not grackle. There are 2 birds a male and female taking care of a nest in a hole under the eave of the house. I went out with the camera and my cat was with me, so they fussed at us and then several other birds came, which I thought were grackles, but looking at pictures grackles have longer tails and dark bills, which the one that attacks peppers looks like the bill is dark, but need to take another picture I guess.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

This is the other kind of bird or younger version of the other birds, but I am not sure. Not sure about this male and female taking care of nest, maybe, 2 nests in there?

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

All plants covered with the Tulle netting I bought for cabbage several years ago. DH broke a top, so now 7 broken tops now. I need to find something better than this.