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The birds!

My CPs are being attacked by birds!
(well ok..one CP and (probably) one bird)
when I got home from work this afternoon there was spagnum moss scattered all over my balcony! and one poor Judith Hindle laying bare-root on the floor...fortunately it appears to have happened recently, so the moss was still damp and the plant roots still had some moss on them, so the plant will survive (this time..)

but the first attack happened a few days ago..just a little moss removed and the pot and plant still intact..but that time the moss on the floor was bone dry! so the danger here is if the bird strikes at say 9am, and I get home at 5pm..well thats plenty of time for a sarracenia to totally dry out!

so far its just the one pot..and im assuming its just one bird..I noticed a sparrow with shifty eyes on my balcony railing a few times lately, he is my main suspect..

So anyone have any tips for keeping birds away?
I have seen those plastic owls with swiveling heads! seems like that would be effective..
my Girlfriend suggested combing her cat and putting cat hair in and around the pots..she uses that to keep moles out of her garden..(how well do birds smell?)

well im just looking for ideas..before there is a CP fatality!
thanks,
Scot
 
just wondering... how do you know a bird did it when you didn't see it? and, I don't think a little sparrow could knock a pot that weighs twice his own body weight over..
 
spwc, iv'e seen alot of wierd things happen, and thats one of them. As some might know, my cobra lily's got attacked by a tiny little bird...i witnsessed the attack and cam eout yelling and waving my arms....ill seek revenge with my trusty Icon paintball gun.....Well i don't have a remedy, but try your girlfriends approach! It sounds good, or the owl! Hope it helps,
Kevin
 
I've seen somebody tie a bunch of cd's in his cherry tree to keep out birds. I don't know how well it worked but it really looked cool. Try tying them all around your balcony. If you want to catch the guilty vandal, surround your plant with mousetraps.
If all else fails you can always get out the bb gun.
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We have the same thing at my house, but its crows and a pool, every spring crows come and lay eggs. the eggs hatch and the babies poop, and poop and poop
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now the momma or daddy crow doen't want all this crap in the nest, so what does he do? he picks it out lands by our pool and either drops it on the edge or throws it in the pool itself, We took several precuations.1 put mirrors or cd disks around the area which is being attacked, the birds hate thier reflection,2 we put fake snakes around the area being attacked, this didn't really help but might help you, and lastly we bought a fake owl, made a fake roost and set the owl in the roost wich was near the area being attacked, hope this helps, and maybe someday birds will have no beaks and no butts also,so poop will be in a memory long forgotton while i swim in the spring,in a poop free pool
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Darn birds! They peck into my pygmy sundew pots and my stupid cat just lays there licking his paws.
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I dont get it. Not ten feet away there is a wading pool filled with the same mix as in the pots, but they go for the pots despite this. It may be the color that attractes them.
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I use the reinforced frames that nursery flats are placed in to give the flat some strength as a screen, placing it upside down over the flat so they can't get to the pots. That won't do for the taller plants though. Maybe if you cut a hole in a plastic bag just large enough for the plant to poke up through and secure the bag tightly about the pot base it will discourage them. If they can't get to the medium they might just give it up.
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Tamlin Dawnstar @ June 21 2003,08:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Darn birds!  They peck into my pygmy sundew pots and my stupid cat just lays there licking his paws.  
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I dont get it.  Not ten feet away there is a wading pool filled with the same mix as in the pots, but they go for the pots despite this.  It may be the color that attractes them.
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I use the reinforced frames that nursery flats are placed in to give the flat some strength as a screen, placing it upside down over the flat so they can't get to the pots.  That won't do for the taller plants though.  Maybe if you cut a hole in a plastic bag just large enough for the plant to poke up through and secure the bag tightly about the pot base it will discourage them.  If they can't get to the medium they might just give it up.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Maybe it's the sparkling dews?
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Grim,
Those owl heads don't work, every time I go to a shopping center I see hundreds of them... with bird poo on it and birds perched right by it! he one with the moving heead might work, it's worth a try...
 
Spec is right. The owl heads do not function. The Cds do work nicely though.
 
thanks everyone!
I hung up a few CDs..we shall see if that works..
im also going to look for a rubber snake and put it right along the bottom of the pots!!

I saw the culprit! its a Robin.
I caught him in the act!
it looks like he is actually taking some of the moss! not just rooting around in it for food..isnt it too late for nest building?
well, it doesent really matter why he is messing with my pots, I just want to stop him!
the Cds in combination with a fake snake ought to do it!
I will let know how it goes..
thanks,
Scot
 
  • #10
help the robin out,get a big pot, stick dried moss, tinsel, and grasses and he'll use it for nests
 
  • #11
Indeed, the birds are after the moss for their nests and if it is a robin he or she knows that moisture means WORMS as well! If you try the rubber snake or the CDs remember to move them often, once a week at least. Birds catch on and figure things out. That is why the owls don't work. If they don't move then then figure out they are not real. Try fastening the pots to the railing or the table they are on and covering the top of the pots with a bird netting cut into small pieces to anchor the moss down but not look ulgy. The robin will finish her nest soon and hopefully leave your Judith alone. I am sorry,it is very frustrating to spend so much time and energy
on your plants to have them destroyed.
 
  • #12
Hi Scotty-

Last spring I had a large blue-jay doing the same thing. I would walk outside, and see my CP window box destroyed -with the little seedlings laying around.

This year, just like you, it has been a Robin - going after the long fibered sphagnum and unrooting the seedlings. Luckily I didn't lose too many.

We have been keeping our dog in the yard more. She loves to go after birds (part Pointer helps). She used to be worse than the Robins - she would grab a potted plant and run all around the yard with it and throw the plant up in the air, then finally destroy the pot.

I fenced off the outdoor CP area - but it's great sinc she can still terrorize the pesky birds.

Bill
 
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