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+--- Thread: working with nature (/showthread.php?tid=5574)
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working with nature - Tartar Horde - 26 July 2013
Like a lot of members on this site I enjoy growing Vegetables and fruit for the kitchen. Over the years my attitude to Birds has changed, specifically I found it a constant battle to protect my crops against them, forever shooing them off, and waking up in a morning listening for the dreaded Cooing of the local Wood Pigeons, who know exactly when the fruit is at its best
I have accepted now there is no way to stop birds from getting some of your fruit and veg, unless you totally enclose your growing area in cages etc. Rather than trying to fight the birds i have tried actually feeding them with a constant supply of food and water, leaving any damaged fruit out with bird seed. I have planted rows of Sunflowers that I allow to go to seed as another source of food for them. This approach seems to be working, even though I have more birds than ever visiting my garden. Giving the birds an easy meal, as opposed to one where they have to work for it concentrates them on the feeders rather than on your crops. Although I still get "edgy" when I see a Wood Pigeon land and make sure I keep my eyes on the Buggers
RE: working with nature - uks - 26 July 2013
You can't win with mother nature she gives and she takes away. As you say you have to work in harmony with her.
RE: working with nature - Rush2112 - 26 July 2013
I know what you mean TH, I've given up trying to fight them for the most part. on the bright side, in survival mode all those birds are protein waiting to be consumed.
RE: working with nature - bigpaul - 26 July 2013
we feed the birds including wood pigeons and rock doves plus all the smaller ones, noticed that they don't go on the fruit trees and bushes much now that we feed them so maybe that is the way to go.
RE: working with nature - Scythe13 - 26 July 2013
You can't win them all, but there area plenty you can eat. Feeding them will fatten them up for dinner, URM....I MEAN....WINTER!!!!
RE: working with nature - Steve - 26 July 2013
Wood pigeon, yummmmmm.
The only things I go all out to exterminate are slugs, snails, aphids and caterpillers.
RE: working with nature - Tartar Horde - 27 July 2013
(26 July 2013, 21:52)Steve Wrote: Wood pigeon, yummmmmm.I agree Steve slugs & snails are the real killers of plants, and I will not put poison down for them, it doesn't sit right with me poisoning your land, but they are a total B"£%$^d to control. I have been thinking about digging a pond so I can have Frogs & Toads who do like a good feed of Slugs and Snails. One of the best Birds to help with these pests is the Thrush but I haven't seen one for years. Other than that I have a nail on the end of a brush handle and go out at night and stick the little twats.
The only things I go all out to exterminate are slugs, snails, aphids and caterpillers.
RE: working with nature - bigpaul - 27 July 2013
i'm not sure about snails but slugs eat dog (and other) poo so they are good for something.
RE: working with nature - Debbie_F - 27 July 2013
(26 July 2013, 21:52)Steve Wrote: Wood pigeon, yummmmmm.
The only things I go all out to exterminate are slugs, snails, aphids and caterpillers.
why cant nature work with us and the birds eat the caterpillers?
regarding the snails: ever try the beer method? put some beer in a small bowl, or halved tin can. the snails go in and dont come out. could rig some kind of roof to keep rain out. luckily we dont have snail problem, but i've been told this works.
RE: working with nature - bigpaul - 27 July 2013
we don't have a snail problem here but I have seen some HUGE slugs just after a heavy rain storm.