What a drag Pudge, seems like you have tried everything. Pellet gun maybe? A major undertaking would be to get some flight netting, put in some posts, run wire along the top of the posts and tie wrap the flight netting to the wire, you could then let the flight netting hang down to create sides. We put up flight netting this year but that is to keep our heritage turkeys in, works very well.

Wheat seems to have germinated like mad this year, it is in every field where it is not supposed to be. I mulch with straw that is 4-5 years old and I have a major crop of just the regular Canadian Western Hard Spring (AC Barrie) in my yard. I let it grow to act as a snow catch this winter in a new garden area, it looks really stupid, I'll have to post a pic sometime. I would actually like the birds to eat it because I will have to cut the seed heads off soon, of course, the birds don't touch it.

I am really intrigued by all of the varieties of wheat that you are growing for your crafts, can you post a pic sometime? Good luck Pudge, let us know how it goes.

Oh no, not your wheat Pudge, Earlys in Saskatoon sell a rotating head owl that bobs and turns for $37, one thing to keep in mind about plastic owls is that they will probably scare off the nice cute little birds like finches too....they also sell Holographic Scare Tape, $6.99 for 100ft at Early's.

Both of these products and others can be seen at the link below....

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Bird Control Products

My suggestion would be the same as tabardca's. I am not sure what 'flight netting' is but probably much the same as the netting they sell to keep deer out. comes in 7'x100' rolls. That stuff keeps everything out....animals and birds just hate it. Understandable since it is a pain to work with...gets caught on everything including the buttons on your shirt! But....building a tent-like structure with it as suggested would probably save your seedheads on the ornamental grasses.

I use the deer netting as a perimeter fence on a holding bed that is about 4-5 blocks from the yard.....a shade bed M/L in the woods that is not patrolled by the dogs. The netting keeps everything out.....deer, grouse, racoons, etc. Without it that bed is a proverbial lunch counter for wildlife!
Jan

How frustrating for you.

I wonder if you gave them a change of diet from sunflower seeds? During the winter I use the common wild bird seed... mustard seed is in it I know and I'm not sure what else. It's available all over the place. The sparrows peck away at that all winter and love it. Maybe put out a bird bath type feeder near the wheat, creating a diversion and they just might stay away from it?

Your wheat seeds must be their version of lobster!!

Hoping something works for you.

Betty

Must be very frustrating Pudge, wish I knew what would help. I hardly hang up a bird feeder any more because I get a whole flock of sparrows come in almost immediately and will clean it out in no time. They empty the seeder and flip the seed all over the ground. It seems once the feeder is empty, they just disapear. Now, I just hang up the feeder when I'm working in the yard so that the chikadees feed while I'm there and the sparrows keep their distance.

Is it my imagination or are the sparrows these days getting bolder and bolder? We have about 5 babies around this summer (no idea where their parents are - certainly not supervising their children!) and all day these crazy birds tease my cats. I've never seen sparrows do this. Magpies, yes. But sparrows are usually timid. These little rascals jump onto the ground about eight feet in front of where the cat may be laying, flit their wings and chirp at the cat. The cats have got smart, tho. They don't fall for it. They hunt the sparrows when the sparrows aren't watching. Very entertaining. So far, it's 0 - 0.

Wish I had a solution for you, Pudge. Short of getting an electronic ultrasonic contraption. I know they are available but I don't know how expensive they are. Do a google search for "bird deterrent" and see what you come up with.

Shauna

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I thought that last year was just a weird year - even farmer dad was puzzled by it, he never recalls sparrows going after wheat in the field like that. But since it's happening again this year, I will have to plan better next year. I've also thought of installing poles and netting - it won't be hard to do since we can screw the poles to the logs that make up the raised beds and install the netting when needed. Maybe I could also use them to rig up wind protection, too.

Good point about giving them something in that area to eat, Betty. I have a lot of last year's oats that I was going to throw away - I'll scatter it in an empty bed instead and see how that works. I'll deal with the seed germination problem next year.

Stanley, you're right about them emptying the feeders but I see they also eat off the ground, as do all the finches. The baby gold finches have fledged and they're so adorable that I don't want to remove the feeder.

This morning I went out there and a flock of about 200 flew up from the bed that isn't covered. Grrr! There's no netting to be had in town but I'll probably go buy more of the floating row cover.

Tabardca, where did you buy the flight netting?

I am surprised no one has mentioned scare eye balloons. They seem to work well. People here use theme to keep birds out of the boat docking canopies, and my neighbor uses one successfully to keep birds out of his rasberries. He does use mylar tape in addition, but he says that doesn't do it alone. The balloon has been around for quite a while now, and lots of places sell it. The link below is one with a picture. There is a yellow or a black balloon available. I have only heard of experiences with the yellow.

Rick

Here is a link that might be useful: Scare Eye Balloon

Flight netting seems to be really expensive in Canada for some reason so I ordered mine from the USA. Both Cutler Supply and Smith Poultry Supply have it. I was desperate as my turkeys can fly like crazy and were at huge risk to predators and the dog so the netting was a must have.

www.cultlersupply.com
www.poultrysupplies.com

Both companies give really great customer service and will ship via USPS (postal) so that brokerage charges won't cost you a fortune.

I scattered the oats and the sparrows are content (at the moment) eating that instead of the wheat. I bought another floating row cover, but it's windy today so am having a hard time keeping it in place since the wheat is too tall for it to come far enough down the sides, so it's got a parachute thing going on. My neighbor, bless her soul, had a plastic owl tucked away (I swear my neighbor has Everything!) so I've got that up on a tall pole. I'm thinking that the tinfoil strips are also working to some degree. I may tie some more of them to the tops of the broom corn, but I have to get the step ladder to accomplish that.

For the moment I've stopped panicking (somewhat, LOL). A few birds I can handle, but it's kinda starting to look like the Alfred Hitchcock movie out there. Freaky.

Im not sure how large an area your wheat grows in..I was wondering if a radio left on would discourage them..but that wouldnt be practical if you have a large area of wheat...savona

Well good for you Pudge....just out of curiosity, how are the birds getting at the wheat kernels? Are they actually on the stand of wheat and pecking it out like the finches and chickadees, or are they using some other support? I've never seen sparrows get at seeds off flowers or anything else other than a bird feeder with a foot-hold of some kind.

Oh, and by the way post a pic of your efforts!!! LOL... I think it would be an education to see the lengths we'll go for our gardening!

Betty

A picture! LOL. Right now it looks like a redneck dogs breakfast. Just picture long willow sticks everywhere, string, old plastic sheets blowing, tinfoil, the row covers, and now the big owl standing guard over it all. DH tried to do his part by hiding and making hooting sounds, LOL, what a goof! Plus it''s just finished raining, with wind, so it's a twisted wet mess under some wet row cover. Good thing it's not really visible from the road.

I like the idea of those scare balloons - seems like I've seen them in my travels somewhere so I'll have to keep my eyes open for them. As I was picking yet another pail of raspberries today I was wondering why the birds don't do me a favour and eat them instead of the wheat.

Thanks for the links on the flight netting, Tabardca.

Yes, Betty, the sparrows just latch on to a stem and peck away - the beards on the wheat doesn't deter them at all, and when they're done with the stalk there isn't a kernel left, it's just stripped.

I'm not sure if a radio would work. I wonder what kind of music sparrows would find appalling? Going with the current theme out there I think I'd have to play Gretchen Wilson's Redneck Woman over and over and over again, LOL.

Well Pudge, I guess I don't know that much about those sparrows...INCREDILE INFO...they are a fairly good sized bird. Love this forum for this reason...we are never done learning from one another.

AND, I CAN understand why you won't post pics...you have a beautiful yard...do I have to say more?

WISHING we would get some rain!!!

Betty

Welll, I'm preparing to cut the last of the wheat today - the blue utrecht and black einkorn which, for some reason, don't interest the birds so the heads have been left intact. The other varieties, though, (durums) were almost impossible to keep the birds away - we found them caught underneath the row covers, laughing at that owl and swinging on the string with the tinfoil strips.

Dad and I had another conversation about their activity and he thinks they like areas with buildings and trees, as opposed to wide open fields.

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions.

ThatÂs too bad Pudge, I've noticed an abundance of sparrows lately around here too. Every time I go out to play they swoop and dart right at youÂI think IÂm going to have to start wearing my motorcycle helmet when go out there. LOL other than that, one good thing about this is that theyÂre feasting on the mosquitoes, havenÂt seen a mosquito for a couple of weeks now.

Sharon

Pudge, your dad's observation is right - they're called "house" sparrows because they never stray far from developed areas. They only hang around towns, farmyards - not out in the country. If you have a fair bit of land (an acreage?), planting your grains farther out, away from the buildings may help?

Well yeah, now that makes sense, doesn't it, LOL. I can't see the forest for the trees, sometimes. Thanks for putting two and two together for me, Lori.