Pigeon Problem (What tricks have you tried)

[palmski]

On my allotment there is a problem with birds Pigeons mainly. I'm sure they wait for me to go then have an all you can eat buffet at my expence.

What have you found to be the best to keep the birds of your plots other that netting??

[Duke Ellington]

I am still searching for the answer to this problem:( I have tried ......

cds
foil tape
plastic bottles on bamboo

Nothing has worked for me 

Duke

[landimad]

You can all borrow my Lab. Winnie for the day.
She just loves to chase them away for me.
It wears me out just watching her.

[palmski]

I would not mind if they just eat 1 thing but I'm sure they just laugh at me after i leave call all there mates then tuck in..

Ive looked on E-Buygumbay but no 1 selling a rifle.... Oh I'm only joking i couldn't but there certainly not on my Xmas card list that's for sure.

[GodfreyRob]

A bit of netting over the crop works fine. 

We have a pair of pigeons nesting in a tree in our front garden every year.
They will eat any brassicas I plant in the back unless I put some netting over it.

I do like to hear them cooing down the chimney though!

[Easywriter]

Yeah, netting. I've netted mine and had no probs, a couple of my allotment neighbours have had their cabbages attacked my pigeons - they use nets now.

I've also seen random sticks, sticks with old CDs attached that blow about in the wind, sticks and string arrangements, netting works though.

[grannyjanny]

On our site brassicas have to be netted from day 1 but when we went to view daughters plot in March we couldn't believe the beautiful PSB etc growing so tall & erect. They just have to cover them until they have grown a bit. I wish their pigeons would have a word with ours .

[Crystalmoon]

Ive tried loads of different things & sofar fleece has been great over the raised beds until the seedlings are ready to be transplanted etc then netting stretched over hoops to make cloche type mini tunnels has worked very well. If I was more physically able I would make a large tall sturdy wooden &  netting cage as a permanent feature for my plot as I am surrounded by trees with pigeons nesting in them all
I am thinking about using an old greenhouse frame minus glass & covering it in the scaffolding netting for next year.

[palmski]

Ive tried loads of different things & sofar fleece has been great over the raised beds until the seedlings are ready to be transplanted etc then netting stretched over hoops to make cloche type mini tunnels has worked very well. If I was more physically able I would make a large tall sturdy wooden &  netting cage as a permanent feature for my plot as I am surrounded by trees with pigeons nesting in them all
I am thinking about using an old greenhouse frame minus glass & covering it in the scaffolding netting for next year.

Thats a good idea

[gypsy]

I use old cassette tapes, stretched round the edge of the brassica section. They hum when the wind blows and scare the birds off. Also bean netting (4inch square holes) over the top, hooked over garden canes. about 6 inches above the plants. You can reach through to remove weeds but pigeons won't go through it. Easy to lift up as plants grow, and easy to remove later.

[pigeonseed]

Next door's 5 cats  I never net the soft fruit. On the other hand the bird table doesnt get any use!

Ideally next door's animals - you don't have to feed, clean or de-worm them.

Can you persuade your neighbours to get 5 cats?

[pigeonseed]

oh PS the downside is they do poo everywhere. A lot.

[small]

Don't rely on cats......I've just had to take all the netting off my brassicas because my new kittens where playing with it and getting horribly tangled up......then they had a scrap along a row of seedlings.....

[Digeroo]

I put netting held by bean canes as the brassicas grow I move the netting up the canes so it is just above the leaves.  Good for birds and deer, hopeless for rabbits they simply pop underneath. 

I also put hawthorn twigs on the PSB in the spring to deter the birds, netting is such a hassle when it comes to picking the crop.  Except someone thought that they had been put there as a prank by kids and thinking they were being helpful picked them off.

[palmski]

oh PS the downside is they do poo everywhere. A lot.

Well they already a 2 so a few more wouldnt hurt would it.. As for the poo your right there i have chippings inside my greenhouse and they think its a giant litter tray.... Little Buggers i have now attached some mesh along the door opening to keep them out.

[lilyjean]

same as Crystalmoon....I too stretch netting over hoops creating a cloche type tunnel. Works brilliantly for me!  I quickly learned the hard way when I discovered my skeleton cauliflowers   grrrr!

[thegood-life]

shooting them!! make good eating too yum

If you could get your hands on an owl decoy bird then put it where they can see it then they will not come near your veg .

http://www.pigeoncontrolresourcecentre.org/html/reviews/scarecrow-bird-scarer.html