Allotments 4 All
Produce => Pests & Diseases => Topic started by: brownthumb2 on September 17, 2017, 17:52:52
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Went to the allotment to day to pick the rest of the sweetcorn Some thing had stripped the leaves of each cob and ate the grains leaving the cone still on the plant Would it have been mice ,rats or birds ? Any thoughts please there is loads of mice about I befriended the neighbouring house pet kitten to day hoping it will help keep the mouse population down
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Well in my case and all the others on our site it is Badgers.
The decimated every corn bed on the site last week end.
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I don't think this were Badgers as not a stalk out of place just the corn kernel's gone and core left on the stalk and the leaves shredded on the ground
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Crows perhaps? The ones on our site will peck newly planted sweet corn to the ground unless netted.
Like Tee Gees site it is badgers that munch the sweet corn about a week before you want to pick them. My corn is planted in a badger proof enclosure made from pallets and chicken wire. It is the only way to get a crop. A net over the top keeps the birds off.
These are the lengths we have to go to in order to grow our own sweet corn. :happy7:
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Magpies? Squirrels? Rats? Suggest putting plastic bottles with bottom cut off over eat cob. Stops the fliers but the rats can cope with it.
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On my plot if the corn is all eaten on an undisturbed plot it's mice and voles ... rats can decimate a crop too but they're usually more messy. Rabbits will strip the corn if it is low enough too.
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Does sound like rats have found your crop of corn, I'm reading reports of similar all,over the uk.
I've actually seen rats up corn stripping the kernels. They were very fast and efficient at it.
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OH yuk I've seen a rat at the plot I had hoped it was just passing though
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Rats took one night to strip all remains cobs on my plot... note to myself get pumpkins in they are usually next