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WOOD PIGEON'S EATING LEAVES OFF MY TREE

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  • fuggitfuggit Posts: 2

    Giving them a good blast with a Power jetter works better than air rifles , street peckers hate getting a good wetting , and its hilarious fun LOL

  • I have had trouble with pesky pigeons for four years now. They strip my cherry tree of its leaves and fruit, so this year I tried hanging CD's but that has not worked. I have even set my dog on to them but they come back. I must get a gun!

  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237

    I have the same problem with my cherry tree. It's only a dwarf one so this year I'm trying some cherry tree sleeves from Harrod Horticultural. Too early to see if the cherries will develop inside them though and they don't look that great.

  • Goose56Goose56 Posts: 5

    Poor pigeons. Why all this talk of killing them. scare them off somehow by all means, but using air rifles and guns is horrific. They have a right to live. I love all the birds that come into my courtyard and wouldn't dream of hurting them. 

  • Nelly-tNelly-t Posts: 1

    My Lilac tree has been decimated over the past 48 hours by 5 or 6 wood pigeons. This has never happened before. I am very puzzled as well as annoyed!

  • DyersEndDyersEnd Posts: 730

    I'd be a lot fonder of pigeons if they wore nappies and didn't spend their whole lives flopping in and out of the surrounding trees copulating with each other.  If I had a gun I'd shoot at them but would almost certainly miss!

  • agelmtcagelmtc Posts: 1
    I have this problem as well. Seems to have started a bit earlier this year, I spotted four wood pigeons on the smaller of my two plum trees today, the blossom having only recently finished. Same tell-tale signs: pecking at undeveloped fruit, breaking new growth and even some old branches. Birds not at all deterred by CDs.  So have wrapped both trees in netting, which worked quite well last year.  A pain to do, though, and spoils the appearance of the trees. Perhaps I will be more rigorous in chasing them away this year. 
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,687
    Last year we had the same problem. The pigeons homed in on the flowers of the plums, gages and cherries.
    then they went for the new leaves.
    We put up lenghts of bonded fibre that would move in the wind. It just got tackled up and the pigeons took no notice.
    The trees did come back but with reduced harvest.
    This year we put up old CDs hanging in the wind. However early morning and late dusk....no wind ...and the pigeon's take control again.
    Have to keep going out when we see them and hope we get a crop.
    Interesting that they don't go for the apple or pear trees.
  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,568
    Wood pigeons have been feasting on the blossoms and then the young new leaves of my cherry plum hedge.  OH is hoping they keep at it so he doesn't have to prune it.
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • andy51058andy51058 Posts: 1
    Its only in the last year that my mother has seen the woodies stripping her lilac tree. After reading the comments here and in other on line sites, I am thinking that 1)another person had a tree that they liked that has been cut down, perhaps the house changed hands often the reason for change of garden use; Or 2) the woodies population has exploded locally and so a new source of food has been required. I liked the idea of the red laser pen as that is harmless (don't point it at their eyes) and will try it at home to see if it has any effect on our house pigeon population.
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