Birds Eating Tomato Plants

By Ellen Brown

Question:

I need help keeping birds from eating our tomato plants, we have tried the scarecrow and owls, also the pie tins. Robins are destroying our plants all day long, up to a dozen a day, mostly the ones close to the ground.

Bobbie from Monroe, MI

Answer:

One of the best ways to keep birds out of your tomatoes is to slip growing clusters of fruits into old nylon stockings or pantyhose while the tomatoes are still green. Cut the stockings into strips (15 to 20 inches longs) and tie a knot in one end. Then slip each the stockings over a cluster of tomatoes. Don't worry if the tomatoes are still small. The stockings will continue to expand as the tomatoes grow. When the tomatoes are ready for harvest, simply untie or cut open the closed end of the stockings.

Another strategy is to harvest your tomatoes while they are still a greenish-pink color and let them ripen at room temperature. You can also place them in a cardboard box in single layers separated by newspaper (up to 3 layers) and slide them under your bed or store them in a dark closet. It will take them a little longer to ripen this way, but it will also extend your harvest.

Ellen

Answers:

Birds Eating Tomato Plants

If you're certain it's the birds eating the tomatoes, Home Depot carries a product called "bird netting". It's a very lightweight black nylon net. My garden has bush bunnies (saw the droppings) that ate my strawberries, so I tented a fine wire mesh fencing over one and some cheesecloth over the other. I'm waiting to see if either works.

I didn't know about birds eating tomatoes. I just re-planted seedlings on my patio, which is a hangout for Scrub jays, Black Phoebes, Mourning Doves, and Robins. I'd love to know if you try the netting and how it works. (07/25/2006)

By D.B.White

Birds Eating Tomato Plants

You might try hanging red Christmas bulbs on plants. The birds will peck them thinking they are the tomatoes. They won't like that kind of tomato and will leave them alone. (07/26/2006)

By southernlady

Birds Eating Tomato Plants

You could also try hanging old CDs on fishing line on the plants or above them. They don't like the reflections from the light on them. (07/26/2006)

By kayray

Birds Eating Tomato Plants

For protection, you can use a BirdBusta(R) clip with a paper cup covering the tomato.
See www.birdbusta.com . (12/10/2006)

By Peter M.

Birds Eating Tomato Plants

I have had some success using a lunch size paper bag. I put the tomato in the bag just as it is turning pink and tighten the bag at the end to hold it on stem. The tomato will continue to vine ripen in the bag. (07/23/2007)

By Charlie

Birds Eating Tomato Plants

Take the tape out of a old VHS or a cassette, put up stakes at the end of the row and one in the middle, and string up the tape over the plants. Birds absolutely will not bother. I read this years ago, and do it every year. After they get some growth on them, you can take the tape down. Birds only like tender young plants. (05/20/2008)

By Jan