[andyww2013]

hi,

just returned from my alloment and discovered the <insert anglo saxon phrase> pigeons have decimated the purple sprouting i've spent 8 months growing and nuturating.

So its war now.

Now I'm not into lethal means but someone somewhere must have a solution to keep these things away without resorting to covering my entire allotment in netting...

I am open to all suggestions as long as they work, i have faith that the collective cunning of the allotment holder is greater than the average flying rat...

[mumofstig]

I don't cover my entire plot with netting  but I do always cover my brassicas; with fine netting in summer against the cabbage white butterflies and with the larger holed bird netting in winter.

[Dev]

From my experience wood pigeons will not go under netting. Blackbirds will for strawberries etc., but you can cover brassicas quite lightly in autumn and winter and not get blitzed by the little (anglo Saxon expletive) woodies. Use debris netting in summer though because the cabbage whites will be trying to get in!

[Veg Plot 1B]

I covered mine with debris netting, notice the local farmer use netting to start the remove and have use flags to deter. 

[madcat]

Me too.  I have an old frame from a tent that has been modified to take debris netting over it that covers all the brassicas to keep them from the woodies and the butterflies.  Keeps the whitefly in though - there is nothing that is perfect!  If you have a choice dont use the blue netting, it seems to force the plants - perhaps less light gets through? - but better that than nothing.

[Veg Plot 1B]

Ooops guess what colour I got?

Have project in mind of getting 3 x 6 m galvanised pollytunnel with door and cover it with debris netting in place of the green plastic.

[MarkC]

Seems to be the time of year that they target brassicas. I made the mistake of taking the netting off my PSB last year about this time to pull some cavolo nero, forgot to put it back and next day the PSB was stripped....

I am all for lethal means too for woodpigeon.....decent air rifle sorts them though appreciate that might not be practical for all....

I just use rubble netting. Doesn't need to be too closely pegged down as pigeon don't tend to try and go under it but if they can reach the PSB through it by perching on top they will.

A guy I know chucks the green tops from various brassicas in a pile then waits for the woodies to descend and shoots a few! Same principle as decoys.

[theothermarg]

Net it or lose it as far as Brassica's are concerned, the summer visitors on the next plot must think I rig the stuff up for pleasure but I only have to look at what's left of theirs to know the time was well spent