This video shows the damage starlings and/or grackles do to tomato plants. For some reason they like to place tomato plant material in their nests.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
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That really sucks, thankfully tomatoes grow back from most damage like
this, provided the starlings can be kept off of them.
I would have never thought that a bird would do that kind of damage. That’s
amazing ! I wonder why a Starling would do that ? does a Tomatoe leaf repel
any certain type of insect that you know of? That’s weird.
Why do you suppose they do that? Tomatoes are very strongly scented, and
not good to feed livestock. Do you think it could be for mite control, or
something? I’ve never had any bird do that. Hope your birds don’t travel.
Or educate others.
I have seed birds inside netting. They are persistent if they really like
the food source.
We have been overrun with starlings this year. In the spring our ducks and
chickens couldnt get to eat, the dang starlings got all their food. It got
very expensive, so now we only feed our animals in the evening hours. We
also have a major starling poo cleanup in the barn where the roosted on the
posts, it is a good 8 inches deep! Hope you can keep them off your other
tomatoes.
Last year and this year I had that happen. I didn’t know what did it. I
thought it was maybe a squirrel. Now thanks to you, I know for sure what
did it. I will keep my eye out for Mr. and Mrs. Starling next spring.
I watched them to this years ago in our garden at out home. I think you are
right that the leaves must benefit the young in the nest from lice and
mites. I will have to look it up.
I agree, but at least for now it is only one plant. It happen in 3 days.
The plant was allright Sunday afternoon and I did the video on Wednesday. I
will do a video on the recover.
I’ve caught starlings and cardinals that managed to get through sections of
my bird netting along my rows. However, once they get in I think they
realize they can’t get out and start freaking out. I think its a small
group of starlings because over the last several days, I’ve not seen one
wonder in there again, crosses fingers. However, I haven’t bothered to look
for that damage but will now. Thanks for the tip.
I have had young transplants damaged but not big established plants
I am having more trouble with rabbits. I am thinking about buying an air
rifle.
Kimmie: So far it is just one plant. It is usually not a big problem and
when they do it they don’t get the leaves from just one plant. They go to
different plant which limits the damage. Most people will not expierence
this.
I would have never thought that a bird would do that kind of damage. That’s
amazing ! I wonder why a Starling would do that ? does a Tomato leaf repel
any certain type of insect that you know of? That’s weird.
I thing it is to limit the lice and mites on their young. It only happens
when starlings are nesting near your garden. It does not happen every year.
Although when birds nest on your property they will usually nest there for
years. We have had a Thrasher nesting in our yard for 35 years since they
first nested in our yard. We have had bluebirds at the river cottage for
over 20 years.
OH NO! That stinks…..we have starlings around here….Hope they don’t do
any damage to ours!
They like to nest in old bird houses. Years ago we had an old wooden Martin
bird house that the Martins had given up on. I watched the starling leave
the house and fly down to our tomato plants and pull off the leaves and
branches. I don’t think the fly very far to get the tomato plant material.
I removed the Martin house and it stopped. I also have an old one at the
river garden but they are not nesting in it this year. So I do not know
where they are came from this year.
You have a major problem. Where a high quality mask and gloves when you
clean off where they roosted. You do not want to breath the dust from the
clean up. Good luck!
u need a good pellet gun any protected birds are legal to shoot if they are
destroying any crops
It all has to do with the timing of them building their nest not the size
of the plants. They do seem to take the upper parts of the most of the
time. This plant seems to be picked on. They will go back to the same
plants but this is the first time I have seen this much damage to one plant
with the others left alone.