Marianne's Response
Protecting seedlings from crows
I have seen crows in my garden in the early a.m. I notice some of my just sprouted bean plants have been pulled up with the tops eaten off them and other sprouts. Am I correct in connecting the two? Do crows pull up plants or eat the tops off? What can I do to keep them away?
Posted by Margaret Busby on June 2, 2014
Marianne's Response
Yes! Crows are not bird brains and they watch carefully when you plant seeds as they love corn, beans and other new sprouts. The best control is to cover newly seeded beds with a section of crumbled chicken wire so that it is uneven and hard for the crows, cats, and other pests to walk upon. Once the seedlings are a few inches tall the crows should leave them alone or you can just leave the chicken wire and let the beans grow up through the openings. Another tip is to make curved hoops using rebar and set these over the row of crops. Now drape mesh, tulle or Remay (agricultural fleece) over the hoops to protect from pests and cold weather. Remove when crops grow taller.
Keep growing,
Marianne Binetti
Search the Ask the Gardening Expert library
Looking for a quick resolution to your problem? Marianne has answered thousands of gardening questions. One may be similar to yours. Try searching our library to get the answer you need — fast!