Jerk birds... - Page 2

TexasTycoon · June 29, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracydr

I think birds actually like hot peppers.

Actually, birds can't smell or taste (with a few exceptions - vultures, seabirds, parrots, kiwis): http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birdin...s-smell-taste/

Dewayne mater · June 29, 2015

I think they rely on sight to get your tomatoes. They seem mostly attracted to bright red/orange tomatoes. I've never lost a green when ripe to birds and very rarely a brown/purple tomato. When I put up shade cloth, the birds quit eating then too, but not the squirrels. I've only lost 2 to birds this year and that was when I was out of town and my dear mother was trying to wait until the tomatoes were 100% ripe on the vine to pick them. Picking at blush eliminates birds and squirrels (not rats though). Good luck.

One other thing - when you pick fully ripened on the vine, the shelf life of the tomato is less in my experience. I think a picked at blush tomato holds much longer than the extra 3-4 days it would have taken to get it from blush to fully ripe.

Dewayne Mater

TexasTim · June 29, 2015

The birds don't care about water sources. They just like the tomatoes. I've had standing water from the persistent rain all season.
Mockingbirds and cardinals peck mine and the young ones are fast learners.
As previously stated, pick at first blush.

June 29, 2015	#17
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	I think they rely on sight to get your tomatoes. They seem mostly attracted to bright red/orange tomatoes. I've never lost a green when ripe to birds and very rarely a brown/purple tomato. When I put up shade cloth, the birds quit eating then too, but not the squirrels. I've only lost 2 to birds this year and that was when I was out of town and my dear mother was trying to wait until the tomatoes were 100% ripe on the vine to pick them. Picking at blush eliminates birds and squirrels (not rats though). Good luck. One other thing - when you pick fully ripened on the vine, the shelf life of the tomato is less in my experience. I think a picked at blush tomato holds much longer than the extra 3-4 days it would have taken to get it from blush to fully ripe. Dewayne Mater

June 29, 2015	#18
TexasTim Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 15	The birds don't care about water sources. They just like the tomatoes. I've had standing water from the persistent rain all season. Mockingbirds and cardinals peck mine and the young ones are fast learners. As previously stated, pick at first blush.