Bird Netting???

[dandysmom]

Anyone have any experience with this? Does it really work? I'm tired of losing most of my tomatoes every year to the squirrels and birds! Last year was the worst. I don't mind sharing a few (with the birds, NOT the squirrel!!), but not the majority of the tomatoes.

So, thinking about giving it a try; any feedback would be appreciated.

[Kazz]

How many birds and squirrels do you think you will have to net before they get the message then Eileen ;)

[angieh]

bird netting won't deter the squirrels at all - they'll just chew through it no trouble. It does work against the birds, but they can get tangled up in it. I really can't advise anything re the dratted rodent, but you could try old CDs - anything like that or tin foil on string. Anything that moves and reflects light will tend to scare off the birds.

Have you ever thought of having a small fruit cage?

[dandysmom]

bird netting won't deter the squirrels at all - they'll just chew through it no trouble. It does work against the birds, but they can get tangled up in it. I really can't advise anything re the dratted rodent, but you could try old CDs - anything like that or tin foil on string. Anything that moves and reflects light will tend to scare off the birds.

Have you ever thought of having a small fruit cage?

What's a small fruit cage? Thought the netting would have small enough holes that the birds couldn't get enmeshed...?? I have five tomato plants in tomato cages in the bed directly next to the brick wall; thought if I covered them and weighed the netting down with bricks/stones that it might protect them when they were ripening ........

[angieh]

Sounds as if you virtually have a small fruit cage anyway Eileen. I found some instructions (http://http://www.greenfingers.com/articledisplay.asp?id=405) that could be adapted size and materials etc.

I was wondering how to construct something myself because of having had failures two years running with tomatoes in the greenhouse and not bothering at all last year. I missed them!

I did the link! Wooopppeeeee!!!

Sorry - bloomin thing won't work - I get page load error! Here it is: http://www.greenfingers.com/articledisplay.asp?id=405 (I am disappointed, but will try again tomorrow!)

[dandysmom]

Hey, my first try didn't work either! I'll look thru pics and see if I have any that show the vegetable plot. No one bothers the beans, peppers, onions or basil, so all I'd need to cover is the tomatoes; think that might be fairly easy. Oh I do hope you try tomatoes again this year, there's nothing like a nice juicy one off the vine! The dear little catbirds that I love agree with me, also the wretched tree rat! The fight goes on this year!

[Leesy]

Hope you win the war this year DM, you show them who the BOSS is LOL:lol:

[random]

I wouldn't go for the netting personally Eileen, my dad had it over his redcurrant bush and we were constantly freeing birds that managed to get trapped and tangled somehow, especially youngsters.

[dandysmom]

Oh dear, that's sort of discouraging, but good to know. The catbirds gave been nesting in my garden for years and I love to watch the little fledglings as they're learning to fly. I'd never walk the cats in the garden while they were there.

[ozgirl]

I gave up with tomatoes because of the squirrels! They'd pick them JUST before I would have (or even green sometimes), take one bite out then leave them! GRRRRRRRR!
May try some other veggies this year... but tomatoes ONLY at work (we have a tiny garden here) where there are NOT squirrels, only deer!, to worry about.

[yola]

That's interesting about the netting as we were considering getting loads for our fruit shrubs and (at some point) dwarf fruit trees at the alotment. I don't fancy it (a) because I don't like the idea of birds suffering and (b) with my phobia I certainly don't like the idea of having to free one - knowing my luck we'd get a misguided swan a bit off track from the river, trying to nab our fruits :shock: :shock: :shock:

[dandysmom]

I gave up with tomatoes because of the squirrels! They'd pick them JUST before I would have (or even green sometimes), take one bite out then leave them! GRRRRRRRR!
May try some other veggies this year... but tomatoes ONLY at work (we have a tiny garden here) where there are NOT squirrels, only deer!, to worry about.

I am SO glad to read your squirrel remarks! Sometimes I wonder if my UK friends here think I exaggerate about the destruction they do!! :-D

[dandysmom]

That's interesting about the netting as we were considering getting loads for our fruit shrubs and (at some point) dwarf fruit trees at the alotment. I don't fancy it (a) because I don't like the idea of birds suffering and (b) with my phobia I certainly don't like the idea of having to free one - knowing my luck we'd get a misguided swan a bit off track from the river, trying to nab our fruits :shock: :shock: :shock:

Oh Yola, I shouldn't laugh as I know you really do have a feather phobia, but the mental picture of you and a swan entangled in your netting...

Not to worry, I'm sure swans are not fruit eaters...:-D

[random]

I had a thought, could you not make a light wooden frame big enough for the bush and stretch the netting tightly over it and tack it to the wood to make a sort of netting cage if that makes sense? That would keep critters out but they wouldn't become entangled?

If this isn't already an invention i'm getting patent on it. :mrgreen:

[dandysmom]

I had a thought, could you not make a light wooden frame big enough for the bush and stretch the netting tightly over it and tack it to the wood to make a sort of netting cage if that makes sense? That would keep critters out but they wouldn't become entangled?

If this isn't already an invention i'm getting patent on it. :mrgreen:

Sounds good, Random. unfortunately I'm not a DIY type.... hate to think what it would look like if I tried it! :oops: Don't know if you have the expression "hammer mechanic" there...means a person who's utterly inept ........:-D