Home › forums › General Discussion

Birds Eat my Sunflower Leaves

Thu, 03/27/2008 - 15:13 — babsomatic2000

Last year I planted sunflowers in my vegetable garden. When they started coming up I was really excited. They never got higher than a foot tall due to the birds eating the leaves. I put in an Owl and some fake snakes in the garden but it did not deter the birds at all.

Anyone have this problem? Any suggestions for a solution?
Thanks!

‹ Listen to Ginny Stibolt's podcast Moonflowers are a wonderfull source of pollen ›
Sun, 03/30/2008 - 04:11 — thegardenzone

spray

i heard people use a mix of water and chili pepper as an animal deterent spray for plants, but i have no experience with it

Sun, 03/30/2008 - 13:37 — KiminMaryland

Pepper Usually Doesn't Deter Birds

I don't think you'll have luck with a chili pepper spray - we add pepper to our birdseed to deter squirrels, and the birds don't even seem to notice it.

Sun, 03/30/2008 - 16:53 — toca

deter the birds

the chilli pepper doesn't work for birds they don't have the moist taste buds that deer and rabbits do.Try a netting or wire cage type with a top so they can't get to them. It just has to stay till they are a little bigger. If it is deer a spray of beaten eggs, red pepper(powder),grated irish spring hand soap in water leave sit in sun for 1 week before using so eggs will rot.Then spray on plants,it will stink!!! but it does work you need to redo it after a rain but good thing is that after awhile they don't come back unless food is real scarce.Hope this helps

Tue, 04/08/2008 - 15:33 — babsomatic2000

Birds eating the sunflowers

Thanks for the answer. Will try the netting.