How to Keep Birds From Eating My Tomatoes

Birds eating tomato plants as they ripen can be aggravating for vegitable growers.

When taking the time, energy and care to grow the perfect tomato plants, few things can be as discouraging as a flock of birds eating your crop. Birds are naturally attracted to the bright red color of tomatoes and will eat as many as possible when they are an abundant food source. Setting up net blockades, distracting the birds with shiny objects and even going so far as to preemptively pick the tomatoes can be ways of avoiding the birds' hungry attacks.

Things You'll Need

• Fishing wire
• Fine netting
• Old CDs

Instructions

1. Place enough fine netting around the tomato plants to cover them. Use wooden stakes or nearby fences (if available) to attach the netting so that the wind does not blow it away. Make sure the netting reached the ground on all sides of the plant. Keep a close eye on the plants to ensure the birds' beaks are not getting through.

2. Hang several old CDs (compact disks) with fishing wire around the area containing the tomato plants. Make sure the CDs are within 3 feet of the plants. The shiny reflections of the CDs will scare birds away from the plants.

3. Pick tomatoes that are close to ripening (when they are the lightest shade of green/yellow) and place them on a sunny window sill of a closed window. The tomatoes will ripen within 3 days even off the plant, and the birds will not be able to eat them.

References

• Texas A&M: Tomato Part I
• Click Blog: How to Stop Brids Eating Your Tomatoes