[Martin]

This morning I noticed that the first 4 of my Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes were ripening well. This evening I see they've all been eaten into, one of them there is only a quarter left! We have lots of pigeons around, would they eat them? I've also noticed a lot of wasps so theres a nest somewhere close...but I can't believe they would eat three quarters of a tomato 3 inches across...
If it is pigeons should I try to get some netting around the toms?
Suggestions welcome.
PS they are outside by the way.

[Oliver]

If it is pigeons should I try to get some netting around the toms? Suggestions welcome.PS they are outside by the way.

Yeesh. Pigeons - what about pigeon and tomato pie?

Netting is really the only answer. If it happened overnight in damp conditions I would say slugs and snails, but in broad daylight and the current drought - pigeons.
O

[Sadgit]

damn pigeons.. we have the posh kind wood pigeons, but still vermin. Must admit they crippled the barasicas but haven't touched the toms I have outside.. YET!!!

[Oliver]

She has three plants of Inca (an outdoor bush tomato very like Super Roma) and they are extremely prolific. Lovely big tomatoes, just beginning to ripen. While watering this evening she caught two huge snails in the act of devouring one of the ripe tomatoes! So, slug pellets have gone down round the tomatoes. Can't have that! Will keep an eye out for the wood pigeons who live in the elder on a neighbouring plot.

[shaun]

do scarecows actually work ,
the reason i ask this is because yesterday afternoon i went fishing and this place has a couple scarecrows dotted around the lake to scare the herons away,i was day dreaming as you do when i noticed a couple of wood pigeons sitting on the arms of one,
i suppose they might work when they are 1st put up but i'm sure the birds have a brain and work it out.

[John]

do scarecows actually work ,
the reason i ask this is because yesterday afternoon i went fishing and this place has a couple scarecrows dotted around the lake to scare the herons away,i was day dreaming as you do when i noticed a couple of wood pigeons sitting on the arms of one,
i suppose they might work when they are 1st put up but i'm sure the birds have a brain and work it out.

I don't think they work much because they don't move - I reckon you need to make the arms so light they wave in the wind to fool the birds.

[shaun]

you could make one that turns around in the wind,like a clothes line.but watch out you dont get in the way because when you go to A+E with a black eye and tell them you was beat up by a scarecrow it might raise a few eye brows