[shokkyy]

I have a nice little pear tree in my garden that produces a big crop of fruit every year, but I have yet to eat one of them. Long before they're anywhere near full size, let alone ripe, they've all been eaten. I've always blamed wasps, because there always seemed to be a few buzzing around them, but this year I've been watching them like a hawk and I think it was birds all along. Every time I walk out there, a bird flies up from the tree (not sure what sort, but it's small and fast). And now that I'm looking more closely, the first signs of chewing on the fruit does look very much like birds pecking at them.

I'm stunned that birds would go for them. They're cooking pears, absolutely rock hard and certainly no sweet smell, and they're nowhere near full size but already a good proportion of them have been chewed. Yet the lovely sweet apples growing right next to them are never touched. Has anybody seen this before, or is this just local birds with a bizarre taste in fruit?

And another thing - something has been biting the tops off my iceberg and butterhead lettuce. Not the Little Gem, for some reason they're never touched. It's not slugs, I do have pellets down, and they're being bitten off whole, sometimes the attacked leaf is left lying on the ground. I don't think it's rabbits because they're growing in an area that's pretty securely fenced off. Is it more likely to be birds or mice doing this?

[hamstergbert]

Airborne rats - wood pigeons.

They got some of mine too (esp radiccio)....grrrrrrr............

[gobs]

I have a nice little pear tree in my garden that produces a big crop of fruit every year, but I have yet to eat one of them. Long before they're anywhere near full size, let alone ripe, they've all been eaten. I've always blamed wasps, because there always seemed to be a few buzzing around them, but this year I've been watching them like a hawk and I think it was birds all along. Every time I walk out there, a bird flies up from the tree (not sure what sort, but it's small and fast). And now that I'm looking more closely, the first signs of chewing on the fruit does look very much like birds pecking at them.

I'm stunned that birds would go for them. They're cooking pears, absolutely rock hard and certainly no sweet smell, and they're nowhere near full size but already a good proportion of them have been chewed. Yet the lovely sweet apples growing right next to them are never touched. Has anybody seen this before, or is this just local birds with a bizarre taste in fruit?

And another thing - something has been biting the tops off my iceberg and butterhead lettuce. Not the Little Gem, for some reason they're never touched. It's not slugs, I do have pellets down, and they're being bitten off whole, sometimes the attacked leaf is left lying on the ground. I don't think it's rabbits because they're growing in an area that's pretty securely fenced off. Is it more likely to be birds or mice doing this?

Yes, mice or rats are a likely offender here. Even my radish leaves got eaten this year, I've never seen such in my life. Though someone also reported a hare on site.

[ermck1]

There is one wonderful thing about Wood Pigeons - they taste great! Quite effective pest control as well.



Mike

[JohnB47]

Yes, mice or rats are a likely offender here. Even my radish leaves got eaten this year, I've never seen such in my life. Though someone also reported a hare on site.

I'd gladly sacrifice a plant or two for a Hare. Lovely animals.

[emptydraw]

Blue tits regularly eat our apples, long before we would. Its really annoying, as they eat a little bit of every apple, spoiling them all.... and then the wasps move in!

[Diddy Gardener]

My flatcoated retriever eats every apple that falls from our tree (he's weird). He was at the vets last Autumn for a check-up which included a 'back end' exam... the vet was slightly shocked when her finger came out covered in neon green 'goo'. 

[RichardA]

our labrador dog has learnt to eat fallen cherries and spit out pips, now it is so funny the grandkids feed them to him just to see him with the stones!!!!!!!!
R

[shokkyy]

Blue tits regularly eat our apples, long before we would. Its really annoying, as they eat a little bit of every apple, spoiling them all.... and then the wasps move in!

Yes, I think it might be a blue tit that I keep catching in the tree. I wonder if it's worth putting a peanut feeder nearby to draw them away. I've got a big peanut feeder but it's at the other end of the garden. No point worrying about attracting them to the tree, because clearly they're already attracted, but if they're going to be there I'd rather they were eating peanuts than my pears