Wildlife and tomatoes
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Anonymous
| We have a vegetable garden and are constantly battling the wildlife! I’ve managed to exclude the rabbits, which would previously go after everything green, but the squirrels and birds (I think) have a field day with the tomatoes some years. This happens to be one of those years. Cherry tomatoes disappear before they even ripen, the larger tomatoes are half eaten. It’s driving me bonkers! Has anyone had success with any deterrents?? I bought some of those shiny strips to attempt to scare the birds, and started sprinkling fur from my cat in the garden. I would just let my cat outside, honestly, if they were up to date on their shots. Darn covid! |
Anonymous
| No fense? |
Anonymous
| I just bought protective netting for this reason. So far, so good. |
Anonymous
We have raised beds and then coated chicken wire attached to the wood. So around 3ft tall. It keeps the rabbits out, and we don't typically get deer. Obviously fencing doesn't discourage birds and squirrels/chipmunks can climb, so would a larger fence even help? |
Anonymous
| It’s the birds. You have to put netting over the tomatoes. |
Anonymous
| Rats? |
Anonymous
| Entirely surrounding your garden space with netting is the only sure thing. If that is not possible then I would focus on physically protecting your ripening fruit. One trick I have used is to take a brown paper lunch bag and place it over the tomato at first blush. Rain can make a mess of paper after some time, however. |
Anonymous
| They are after water, not that actual tomato. Place a bird bath or small fountain with water for the animals and they’ll leave the tomatoes alone. |
Anonymous
| Here is the trick I came up with. You know how onions come in those mesh bags? I saved those and cut them in half. When the tomatoes started pinking up, I put a mesh bag over each tomato and secured the bags with the twist ties from loaves of bread. I called them "tomato booties". |
Anonymous
OP here- interesting, because they did seem to go easy on them for a few days after all the rain, but then were right back at it yesterday/today. We're always quick to eliminate any standing water due to mosquitoes, but if I swap out the water regularly, that shouldn't be a problem, right? Could I just leave out a container of water? |
Anonymous
fwiw I have a bird bath and they still peck my tomatoes. I’m pretty sure it’s mockingbirds. Netting is the solution. |
Anonymous
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Netting.
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