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Birds
- Thread starter lennyk
- Start date
I used to plant a couple of bird's eye peppers just for the birds when I lived down town, but whatever bird was eating the peppers doesn't hang around this house.
You can net the plants, or go the scarecrow route with fake owls and snakes, etc. The fake owls and snakes work for awhile, but the birds do become acclimated to them. I made a scarecrow out of AOL disks once, years ago, when starlings started roosting in my pecan tree. The disks would spin in even a light breeze, and it completely freaked the nasty buggers when the sun would hit the spinning disks.
You can net the plants, or go the scarecrow route with fake owls and snakes, etc. The fake owls and snakes work for awhile, but the birds do become acclimated to them. I made a scarecrow out of AOL disks once, years ago, when starlings started roosting in my pecan tree. The disks would spin in even a light breeze, and it completely freaked the nasty buggers when the sun would hit the spinning disks.
Damn that would be irritating, I would be tempted to sit out there with a gun or maybe a sling shot, but that may be a little extreme. Maybe get a cat?
Better still, get the neighbors cat & have it stuffed. Staple a few AOL disks to its hide and hang it from a wind chime in the garden.
Seriously though, birds can be good to take out the bugs. What kind of birds are you dealing with? I feed a few here, they hang around, poo on the garden & find caterpillars. You could make them your peppers friend.
Seriously though, birds can be good to take out the bugs. What kind of birds are you dealing with? I feed a few here, they hang around, poo on the garden & find caterpillars. You could make them your peppers friend.
bentalphanerd said:
Hey!
That's my cat! Getcha grubs off!
*My* neighbor says he hasn't seen any rats in his workshop since my kitties have taken to hanging out over there during the day, and that they're welcome anytime, and would they please learn to chase squirrels, too, because he would like some pecans this year.
Crows used to be a problem with everything until the West Nile Virus killed 70% of them 3 years ago. Now I miss'em! I have to scare off cardinals and bluejays with the hose, but there's loads of finches, wrens, robins, etc. that leave everything alone and are welcome bug-eaters. I still use netting to protect tomatoes from squirrels, but the chiles seem to be ok. I would use berry netting if the birds ate my pods.
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bentalphanerd said:
Lol. I would just be afraid that the birds would start using AOL. (shudder)
It must be a real nuisance if he is posting about it.
The decoy is probably the only real option. Fake owls or snakes. It would probably be the best use for AOL disks, but I have never seen real snakes or owls using the internet, I do not know if smart birds would see through that. "You never leave a man behind!" I figure that means peppers too. I would hate to lose even 1.
Shotgun.
like others have said, try some netting over the plants, dont need to be touching the plants but covering them to prevent birds from getting in & taking your pods. or even that snow fence stuff, the openings are small enough to prevent birds going through it but big enough for other stuff to go through.
again like whats been already said, birds eat insects & mosquitos, so maybe just try to prevent them from getting to your pods vs killing them.
as for getting a cat
cats are the worst pet to own IMO, worthless pet to have inside the house & outside they're such a hazard to wildlife because they kill indiscriminately for the fun of it, & then they breed & have more feral cats running around killing, this becomes a problem everywhere, it even got so bad that WI was gonna have open season on feral cats 
(dont know if it went through?)
I'd rather shoot the feral cat vs the bird, & so would thousands of other people! yea the cat will kill off some mice for you but it'll also kill other animals, about 50/50 1 animal you dont want - then another animal you would like to see/stay around/dont want the cat to kill (which would be food for another species of wildlife)
if you still want to eliminate the problem (birds) this will work just fine & would be better for those city folks so neighbors dont hear you (or as much)
again like whats been already said, birds eat insects & mosquitos, so maybe just try to prevent them from getting to your pods vs killing them.
as for getting a cat
cats are the worst pet to own IMO, worthless pet to have inside the house & outside they're such a hazard to wildlife because they kill indiscriminately for the fun of it, & then they breed & have more feral cats running around killing, this becomes a problem everywhere, it even got so bad that WI was gonna have open season on feral cats (dont know if it went through?)I'd rather shoot the feral cat vs the bird, & so would thousands of other people! yea the cat will kill off some mice for you but it'll also kill other animals, about 50/50 1 animal you dont want - then another animal you would like to see/stay around/dont want the cat to kill (which would be food for another species of wildlife)
if you still want to eliminate the problem (birds) this will work just fine & would be better for those city folks so neighbors dont hear you (or as much)
Pam said:
I'd rather have it stuffed before stapling all those disks to it & stringing it up, but have it your way
I think the cat thing was a joke. They will not sit still and guard pepper plants. As Pam pointed out, they are not worthless. Rats and mice are a serious pest to have around. But to each their own.
HOLY CRAP!!! A co-worker just handed me a plastic grocery bag with about 25 jalapenos, 50 or so serranos(all ripe) and 40 or so long hot peppers(bigger than cayennes but similar heat and flavor) HAHAHA! Well I'm happy!
I'm sorry, what was the question? I think I was defending cats and the cat god smiled on me with a load of peppers! Hell yes.
HOLY CRAP!!! A co-worker just handed me a plastic grocery bag with about 25 jalapenos, 50 or so serranos(all ripe) and 40 or so long hot peppers(bigger than cayennes but similar heat and flavor) HAHAHA! Well I'm happy!
I'm sorry, what was the question? I think I was defending cats and the cat god smiled on me with a load of peppers! Hell yes.
cheezy - your qoute "I was defending cats after someone had trashed them a little unfairly"
its not unfair, I just said what they do, & its the truth!
if you had wolves running around wreaking havoc in a area & getting out of control.what would you do ? you'd take some of them out! now instead of it being a wolf its a house cat (feral cat) doing this.
yes you are right cats will kill mice (rodents) BUT they also kill birds/little hares(rabbits)/small squirrels/chipmunks/frogs/snakes/& maybe even some young game birds.
alot of what cats kill is for no reason, plus alot of those animals are food for other wildlife, some of those animals the cat killed would get rid of our pests we humans dont want around.
the domestic cat should not be left to run free & breed so theres more feral cats running around, it will get out of hand, they are very efficient predators. neither should you allow dogs to run free.
just a little note to people that let their cats & dogs run free, theres laws about feral cats/dogs. if a dog is running/chasing (or doing harm to wildlife) certain game during certain times of the year ANYONE can shoot the dog onsite, & there isnt a dam thing the owner can do to that person. cats would also fall under this law.
its not unfair, I just said what they do, & its the truth!
if you had wolves running around wreaking havoc in a area & getting out of control.what would you do ? you'd take some of them out! now instead of it being a wolf its a house cat (feral cat) doing this.
yes you are right cats will kill mice (rodents) BUT they also kill birds/little hares(rabbits)/small squirrels/chipmunks/frogs/snakes/& maybe even some young game birds.
alot of what cats kill is for no reason, plus alot of those animals are food for other wildlife, some of those animals the cat killed would get rid of our pests we humans dont want around.
the domestic cat should not be left to run free & breed so theres more feral cats running around, it will get out of hand, they are very efficient predators. neither should you allow dogs to run free.
just a little note to people that let their cats & dogs run free, theres laws about feral cats/dogs. if a dog is running/chasing (or doing harm to wildlife) certain game during certain times of the year ANYONE can shoot the dog onsite, & there isnt a dam thing the owner can do to that person. cats would also fall under this law.
I'm sorry but I couldnt resist showing this pic
And cats are animals, they are as much a part of the ecosystem as dogs. (remember I have 2 dogs)
Cats kill things for no reason?
Headline : "Two cats attacked and killed an elderly man"
or "2 year old mauled by family cat"
Do these ring true? No, but insert "dog" and you find a headline that can be found almost every day of the week.
Cats kill things for no reason?
Headline : "Two cats attacked and killed an elderly man"
or "2 year old mauled by family cat"
Do these ring true? No, but insert "dog" and you find a headline that can be found almost every day of the week.
chuk hell said:
Thank you.
Feral cats: national security threat?
