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We were talking about growing watermelons here the other day, and y'all got me fired-up to plant them next year. We're surrounded by forest here - perfect crow habitat. I gave-up on melons several years ago because the crows pecked holes in every single one. To be honest, they would make so much money for our project that I have felt guilty about not planting them. I want to try again - now that Kathy has told me how to pick them.
I've tried almost every known deterrent over the years - from hourly shotgun blasts to pie tins on a string, from a giant owl with moving eyes to a scarecrow sitting on a tractor with an old shotgun on his lap, from putting out corn nearby to tying a dog by the patch. The dog finally quit barking and the crows realized he was chained and harmless. (Unfortunately, the dogs have all been zapped by our electric fences and won't go near the gardens anymore.)
All of it works for a few days until they get used to it - they're very intelligent and incredibly sly! My grandfather hid in the bushes and called the crows in (by mouth!) and killed several with his double barrel .12ga. Then he ran a wire across the wm patch and hung the dead crows on the wire over the melons. No more crows. That's illegal now - and the crow population has exploded. I did that for years before we started this project, but my gardens aren't private anymore - volunteers work here (including one from Pennsylvania who doesn't like to kill things).
One thing I'm sure would work is a light-weightt netting stretched over the patch about 3' over the ground. A crow won't walk under anything where he can't take-off immediately. The patch I have in mind is 2000 sq ft (100X20) - it would take a lot of rebar stakes. The netting wouldn't have to go up until they approach ripening -- BUT we couldn't get in and out to pick them selectively without taking the netting down everyday. That's the hang-up (no pun intended). Also it may be cost prohibitive in large quantities - they're proud of those nettings and crop covers on the garden sites! But maybe it can be reused for several years.
I'm also wondering if it might work to run lines of stakes down both sides and one in the middle and then criss-cross runs of baling twine all across the patch. But we still couldn't get in and out without tripping on the strings.
How 'bout it, Shoe - you've solved most of our problems (stirrup hoes, ramps) - what are the logistics of this? :-) Run-off Sister Cora from Penn. ? Can't lose my okra picker! LOL LOL
Jack
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