Problems with Yellow Finches in garden

[olthumpa]

Has anyone had problems with Yellow Finches invading their garden and eating their plants: beet & turnip tops, spinach, lettuce; broccoli, cabbage, brussle sprout & collie flower leaves - etc. This started 4 summers ago with them just eating the broccoli leaves and has progressed to about 2/3 of what I plant. I have asked locally and no one has ever had this problem or heard of it. They say that they are just eating bugs, not the plants but My wife and I have watched them many times eating the plants. I have tried everything that I could think of, including netting the broccoli when it first started but they always found a way in. Stopped counting last summer after scaring away 100+ with a 22.

There are 3 commercial growers within 3/4 air miles from me but they have not had any problems and never seen it before.

Any suggestions appreciated.

https://www.google.com/search?q=yel...&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=636#imgdii=_

 

[Benhameen]

I always plant sunflowers along with my vegetable garden and never had a problem with them other than in the sunflowers.

The first year I planted the sunflowers I took a walk out thru them and it must of been 500 of them took off all at once. Wish I could have gotten it on film, it was pretty cool because I didn't realize they were there until they took off.

Sorry I cant help...

 

[skeets]

You might try going to a local sporting goods store and get an OWL decoy. Lil bro and I used one for years hunting crows,, Than one day Dad watched red birds catching and eating his bees going in and out of his hives, they would sit at the opening and pick them off,, so he took the decoy and set it on top of the one hive the birds made all kinds of noise to chase the OWL away, Dad had to move it every other day or so cause after 2 days the birds got use to it by the end of summer birds didn't bother the bees

 

[olthumpa]

I always plant sunflowers along with my vegetable garden and never had a problem with them other than in the sunflowers.

The first year I planted the sunflowers I took a walk out thru them and it must of been 500 of them took off all at once. Wish I could have gotten it on film, it was pretty cool because I didn't realize they were there until they took off.

Sorry I cant help...

Thanks for the reply.

I also plant sunflowers for the birds, but the finches do not touch them. Yeah, they come in anywhere from a couple dozen - into the hundreds at a time. In a couple of minutes they can do a lot of damage before you can do anything.

 

[olthumpa]

You might try going to a local sporting goods store and get an OWL decoy. Lil bro and I used one for years hunting crows,, Than one day Dad watched red birds catching and eating his bees going in and out of his hives, they would sit at the opening and pick them off,, so he took the decoy and set it on top of the one hive the birds made all kinds of noise to chase the OWL away, Dad had to move it every other day or so cause after 2 days the birds got use to it by the end of summer birds didn't bother the bees

Thanks for the reply.

I have put several Owl decoys in there and moved them every day, some times multiple times in a day, and it worked for less than two weeks. Someplace I have a pic of finches sitting on the Owl decoys. If I can find if I will post it.

We have several resident hawks in the area. When the finches come in, several will land in the tops of a couple trees and warn those in the garden if a halk is coming. When the hawk is gone, back they come.

 

[Truckedup]

The American Finch is the state bird of two states. That would be the yellow body with black wings. If that's the bird, it's protected You might not want to mention lethal disposal on a public forum unless you have a nuisance permit. I don't personally care but you just never know...

Finches only catch bugs to feed their young. Adults are mostly vegetarian ,mostly seed eaters . So it's something you grow that they like.

I don't kill most pests but run them off. It takes awhile and you need to be persistent. Usually nature can provide a deterrent like a predator animal.....

 

[The_Al]

Has anyone had problems with Yellow Finches invading their garden and eating their plants: beet & turnip tops, spinach, lettuce; broccoli, cabbage, brussle sprout & collie flower leaves - etc. This started 4 summers ago with them just eating the broccoli leaves and has progressed to about 2/3 of what I plant. I have asked locally and no one has ever had this problem or heard of it. They say that they are just eating bugs, not the plants but My wife and I have watched them many times eating the plants. I have tried everything that I could think of, including netting the broccoli when it first started but they always found a way in. Stopped counting last summer after getting 100+ with a 22.

There are 3 commercial growers within 3/4 air miles from me but they have not had any problems and never seen it before.

Any suggestions appreciated.

https://www.google.com/search?q=yel...&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=636#imgdii=_

Have you tried thistle seed? It is pretty cheap, and may do the trick. It is what they prefer. A thistle feeder with seeds and a mesh may work.

 

[buckaroo52]

Put up some thistle seed ( also known as Niger seed) feeders and they will leave your garden. The seed uses a feeder with tiny slits in it for the birds to access. Moisture will usually plug them up though, find a dry spot to hang them. Finches love this stuff !

 

[rob82]

I have had a finch feeder and use thistle. They love it and dont bother anything else. Its about 100 ft from my garden.

 

[olthumpa]

Thank you everyone for the responses.

I will try the feeders with thistle seed.

Just talked to the first person around here that has had a problem with finches eating the plants in their garden and they used the feeders with thistle seed and it worked for them, (where were they 4 years ago ).

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I will try the feeders with thistle seed.

Does this mean Laser weapons, 100,000 volt mesh, and automatic gun turrets are out of the question? Bummer!

 

[skeets]

Hummmm though a BUG ZAPPER with a bag of thistle seeds inside the grid might be a lot of fun to watch,, well maybe not for the birds so much

 

[kitn1mcc]

it could be a Gold Finch or a yellow Warbler. never heard of them doing this type of thing. The Gold finch will not eat any bugs

i have a large garden and a large finch population here i also have a big feeders i keep on the other end of the yard

 

[Rodeo hunter]

Either feed them something else or bust out the 16 gauge. Or 20 and feed them shot. Simple fix to complex problem