Garden Question--How to keep Mockingbirds off the tomatoes?

[Bowtechlady]

The Mockingbirds are eating the tomatoes as soon as they even start to turn pink.

I tried hanging the CD's on fishing strings and letting them hang about the garden and it didnt work.

I tried placing a pinwheel in it and that has not worked.

I heard you can tie up a ballon and paint eyes on it and place in the garden to scare them away? Has anyone tried this and does it work?

My neighbor nearby feeds them so they have plenty to eat but they prefer our tomatoes

We have a few stray cats that hang around but obviously they don't like the Mbird meat

...and before someone says shoot them, I can not do that

So...what have you tried and has it worked?

[az2tx]

couple of tee post, some wire and netting

[M-2]

You can buy plastic bird netting at Home Depot to cover your plants and still let the sun in. That's what I've done, but I was literally 45 mins late this year and a MB got my first (and biggest) tomato - I looked at that tomato, thought, "I'll run to the grocery store and cover the plants when I get back." When I returned, there was a huge hole...
I feel your pain about the mockingbirds and tomatoes, Barb.

[Tmag]

My neighbor has a big baloon with the eyes on it and I haven't seen a bird near his garden.

[berettadave]

12 gauge!

[Desperado]

bb gun

[elkbowhunter]

My neighbor has a big baloon with the eyes on it and I haven't seen a bird near his garden.

What a great idea!

[Tommyh]

shoot em go to jail. bird netting is the best way

[elkbowhunter]

Be real careful in following the advice of mockingbird killers.

Dead mockingbirds lead to $10K fine for drilling company
7/18/2007 2:43 PM By David Yates
Mockingbird.jpg

Northern Mockingbird

In the Harper Lee novel of the same name, Atticus Finch says it is a sin "to kill a mockingbird." Turns out it's also against the law.

The Spindletop Drilling Corp. opted to pay a $10,000 fine last month, pleading guilty to the charge of Unlawful Taking of Migratory Birds.

Jim Noble, assistant U.S. attorney, brought the charge against the company. The matter was settled in the U.S. District Court of Texas, Texarkana Division, on June 21.

According to the original complaint, a special agent with U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspected an oil pit in Titus County owned by Spindletop on Sept. 6, 2006.

Although the pit had protective netting, the agent found carcasses of 12 Northern Mockingbirds and one Mourning Dove.

"The birds were mired in the oily water where the net had sunk below the surface," the document states.

"Unlawfully taking migratory birds" is a violation of Title 16 of the U.S. Code, sections 703 and 707a.

The migratory birds are included in terms of agreements dating between 1916 and 1976 between the United States and Great Britain, Mexico, Japan and the former Soviet Union to protect migratory birds, birds in danger of extinction and game animals.

The penalty for the violation could have included a six month prison sentence and a fine up to $15,000.

Spindletop president Chris Mazzini accepted a plea agreement June 21 for two years probation and a $10,000 restitution paid to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He was represented by Jason Davis of Austin.

[12 point]

Oh boy, this subject is one I have dealt with a whole bunch when growing big juicy red tomatoes. I had to buy lots and lots of bird netting to try and remedy the situation. It was not easy putting the netting up, since most of the cages I used were double stacked and were about 10 feet tall or taller and add that they were mounted on tall raised beds.

In the end, though very tiresome installing the netting, it was worth the effort. THose birds are very determined and you'll probably have some that will still find a way in, depending on how well you secure and overlap the netting. I ended up threading long lengths of steel rebar horizontally along the ground and through the netting to hold it tight against the dirt. This kept not only birds, but also squirrels from gaining access. Also, I installed temporary gates with netting.

Just remember that if you wear shirts or even jeans with buttons, that netting is also good for trapping humans when a person brushes against it. It's also a real pain in the rear when trying to roll it up at the end of the growing season and there's vines and other things growing through it. Sometimes it would get so tangled up that I'd just buy new the next year rather than trying to untangle to darn mess.

[wassaw]

orange colored plastic Easter eggs. i know two people using this method and they say it is working.

hang multiple eggs from each plant.

[lnester]

Bird netting.

Now, anyone have a good idea for keeping my lab from eating my tomatoes??!!!

[BIG IRON]

The kitty cat in your avatar would probably do the trick

[Tommyh]

http://pets.become.com/dog-away-spray

[Dr. Evil]

Be careful with netting. It can also keep bees from having access to the tomato plants and without bees, there will be no tomatoes. I hang bright red Christmas balls on my tomato plants. After a while the birds get tired of beating their brains out trying to poke holes in them to get moisture.