[Archaeopteryx]

Hi all,

New here so apologies if I'm putting this in the wrong place.

My neighbour has stuck a row of entwined sticks and twigs along the edges of his lettuce beds, and I don't know why!  I can't ask him because he doesn't speak English, so I thought I'd just try it myself and see what happens, but still can't see what the object is, anyone know?  All I found this morning is that the snails seem to be using them as a resting place before venturing back onto the runner beans!

Anyone know about this?

[aelf]

I'm guessing it's an attempt to deter the pidgeons 

[compostqueen]

He may well have threaded black cotton between the sticks. You have to look very closely to see it

[Kajazy]

Unless he's sown some peas around them...?

[Archaeopteryx]

The neighbour on our other side is a bird-lover, there are always loads of pigeons and more around, so the bird-deterrent theory is plausible, though the tops of the beds are still exposed.  he's also done it on a tiny border in the front garden which seems to only have a solitary tulip growing...

As far as I can tell there is no cotton thread down there.  Interesting idea though.

The sticks are all somewhere between three and eight inches long, the longest ones are bent across and wedged in with the others in the row to form a miniature fence.  Not tall enough for peas though.  On one side of them is the bed of lettuces, and on the other, just grass.

[shokkyy]

I can only think it must be intended as some kind of slug and snail deterrent. Unless of course he's just doing it because he thinks it looks nice

[Yorkie]

Bird deterrent I reckon 

[Plot74]

Twigs from elder are supposed to keep off pests (read in some old book but can't remember which one)
John

[allot2learn]

I have a laburnum tree in my front garden and every year it is full of snails. I read somewhere that the tree is poisonous to birds so they don't go near it and the snails know that they are safe.

Could the twigs be laburnum?

[Trillium]

Maybe it's just to deter rabbits and cats?

[Yorkie]

I think we all agree it's a deterrent ... 

[shokkyy]

I now have this wonderful mental picture of a laburnum tree with hundreds of snails climbing up its trunk to camp out for the day, safe from birds

[lacewing]

People on our plot use elder sticks to deter moles. Cut up an elder branch into sections about 18" long, scrape the bark to release the smell and poke the sticks down the mole run. Apparently moles hate the smell and will move off somewhere else in search of worms.
Perhaps your neighbour has got a mole disturbing his lettuce plants.

[Kirpi]

Speaking is not he only language. Just engage him with a wave and a smile and point to the sticks - shrug your shoulders and he'll fill in the rest.

You may even make a useful friend.

What did we do before talking?