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gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 19 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Get Mr Shan outside with the air gun-or is that illegal?

Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 19 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Well, I have just managed to catch it in the greenhouse and rid it of its head. Hopefully, it was only one Starling.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 19 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

avian infestation is one valid defence but netting the windows might be nice

you are scary, cqb with vermin is no

something that might help is that birds pecking at tomatoes are often more interested in water than calories, i have reduced outdoor damage to nowt by always having a full bird bath

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 19 5:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

ps i have an arrangement with the mice, they get to use one nice one as an edible hammock and eat that one first.

the scale would be me eating a tomato i could sleep in, they get maybe two a season.

if they break the deal the chilli comes out and they get nowt
chilli does not work with avians

Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 19 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dpack wrote:
avian infestation is one valid defence but netting the windows might be nice

you are scary, cqb with vermin is no

something that might help is that birds pecking at tomatoes are often more interested in water than calories, i have reduced outdoor damage to nowt by always having a full bird bath

Plenty of water here. I think it might have been a single Starling that had a taste for tomatoes.... not anymore. I shouldn't mention it but the chicken ate the Starling's head.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 19 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

why does that seem so normal?

ahh, the dirty 4 dozen ( and various other chooks )

meshing the vents with fly screen is good as it is a pretty good small pest barrier as well , however mesh will also exclude pollinators .

15 mm mesh will exclude most birds while allowing airflow and insect transit

if the windows auto open a low tech approach might be as simple as good gaffer tape and a bit of decent textile net on the side they move away from.
ie open out net on inside easy or the other way which can have access ( and perhaps pre hospital trauma life support ) issues

inside or beside outside i feel comfy , over makes me nervous with glass.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 19 6:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I would suggest mesh over the vents too if it reoccurs. My bedroom window when I was a child had wire mesh over it as a neighbours cat used to come in, and Mum was terrified of cats generally, and that one would suffocate me while I slept in particular. Strangely, I rather like cats.

Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 19 7:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Well, the netting arrives today. I'm going to monitor the situation & if it was only one rogue Starling, I'm going to avoid netting purely because we do get various bees in the greenhouse. If not, I'll have to set it up. Gaffer tape is not really an option as the greenhouse is quite large, so impossible to reach the apex or even the windows from the outside. Doing it from the inside is a possibility but likely to be quite tricky as the arm of the auto-opener is on the inside. I had thought about attaching tennis balls to the corners of strips of netting and flinging it over the greenhouse and then tying down.... the joys...

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Sat Jul 20, 19 9:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I wood use a couple of laundry line props to help get the net over the roof, using Mr Shan on one and a friend on the other and you as supervisor!

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sun Jul 21, 19 6:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    


Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Sun Jul 21, 19 8:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Good idea Gregotyn!

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 19 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thank you Shan, but remember, it is under your supervision. So just 'if' things don't go to plan, don't blame me.

Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 19 9:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Don't worry, I won't .... besides it sounds very sensible!

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 19 10:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

one handy tip re netting things.

things have all manner of corners, snags, frictions etc etc.

if you first cover the thing with a sheet of visqueen or a polyprop tarp ( organic versions may be available but it needs to be smooth and slippery and strong enough not be be caught by a clip or whatever ), then you can then stretch and adjust the net, fasten one side and perhaps most of the edges ( if you cut or folded the sheet well ), pull out the sheet from the open side and finalise any fastenings for the net.

if it works for a cammo net over assorted uncooperative flora or a cargo net on a rather twiggy bender frame for growing cucumbers it should work over a glasshouse.

so long as the sheet material is snag resistant it does make life easier for that sort of thing

i must try to talk some body into it for netting cherries etc

Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 19 7:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Good idea... and I will use it next year for netting my cherries.

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