Pesky bird problem

[wifezilla]

That's what I meant...LOL...thanks Ladyhawke

 

[Kim_NC]

Spray plants & the affected area with artificial grape flavor - like koolaid or cheap soda. Birds react to it like mammals do to hot pepper. It will only last a couple days as it'll break down in sun or rain. But it won't take many bites before they decide go.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Spray plants & the affected area with artificial grape flavor - like koolaid or cheap soda. Birds react to it like mammals do to hot pepper. It will only last a couple days as it'll break down in sun or rain. But it won't take many bites before they decide go.

Wow! They are smarter than us. I would drop dead too if I have to eat that stuff.

 

[Ariel301]

Hmm grape koolaid? That's a new one to me. Won't it attract ants? (We have a lot of ants)

 

[Gazinga]

i had a TON of problems with birds in my corn patch and peach trees. I tried most things with little effect. I finally tried sparkler tape (glitter strip) on top of 3 foot steaks, now i dont see a single bird in my corn or myh trees for the last month! works great for me.

 

[digitS']

Spray plants & the affected area with artificial grape flavor - like koolaid or cheap soda. Birds react to it like mammals do to hot pepper. It will only last a couple days as it'll break down in sun or rain. But it won't take many bites before they decide go.

Gardeners are always hoping for a non-lethal repellent. That silver mylar tape would be one - I've used old cassette tapes effectively. And, this grape flavoring may be another.

In this information from Penn States College of Agricultural Sciences, methyl anthranilate (MA) is the only thing listed as a Chemical Repellent for birds. Penn State says this, "Methyl anthranilate is a colorless to pale-yellow liquid with a grapelike odor. It has long been used as a food and drug flavoring for human consumption."
Wikipedia lists "Triple Awesome Grape" as a sugar free Kool Aid flavor . . .

Steve

 

[deeszoo]

Wow, I wish that grape flavor worked on rabbits! They ate all my broccoli to the stems, already.

This is good to know. The guineas we have always seem to beat us to our tomatoes and peppers. Maybe this year they won't!

 

[Ariel301]

Wow, I wish that grape flavor worked on rabbits! They ate all my broccoli to the stems, already.

Hahaha I haven't found anything that repels rabbits except good strong fencing that is buried deep into the ground. We have a bad rabbit problem here, and we had to surround all our gardens with chicken wire buried a foot down in a trench filled with rocks. They chew through plastic fencing or bird netting. They have even chewed holes in the tarps that cover our hay.

 

[Lavender44]

What about a few old school scare crows? That might do the trick.