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Last year the starlings ate all the flowers of my runner beans twice! Moved to a new house and never had this problem before. Im looking at fruit cages but will have to be 2m high and big and expensive and a bit of an eye sore from the house as we have a smallish garden! Does anyone else have this problem and how have they solved it? I can net smaller raised beds inconspicuously but for the runner beans needs to be 2m high.
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There aren't many things that don't need protection of some sort on my allotment but runner beans seem to be fine so sorry I can't help. Maybe try a runner bean with a different colour flower? -
I have heard or read that white flowers are better but I like the variety Wisley Magic! I may try again this summer and see what happens! maybe I was just unluckyComment
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Last year house sparrows completely destroyed my runner beans - red and white - as well as the french beans. I've never had that problem before. I wondered if it was something to do with the hot weather and they wanted extra food from aphids or water, but I provide several bird baths around the garden and put out bird food.
I did have a couple of overgrown shrubs for the first time last year, and I wondered if that was giving them more 'cover' to dart back-and-forth and do their damage, so I've cut them back hard. I hope that does the trick as I really don't want to have to start netting my beans!!!Comment
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How many plants do you grow? Could you grow more plants so some can be sacrificial,I always have too many beans,last year I didn’t the drought & temp stopped them for a time but then the weather got normal again & they started regrowing. Starlings have eaten brussel sprout leaves here,not my bean flowers I wonder what flowers they like here,I’ve seen them take a bit of my lavender for their nest. You can buy a large piece of netting from the garden center & put up temporary bamboo canes with corner things like these in the photo,just when you need it,take it down in November...
Location : EssexComment
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Last year I had problems with birds pulling the mulch off my beans (and other things) and effectively digging them up. I kept them off most of the time with black cotton between short sticks around the bed. I've also had success with keeping birds off peas by hanging old fashioned foil milk bottle tops on black cotton - this works best if they can jangle against each other in the wind. You could try strips of foil suspended from black cotton around the plants.A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard NimoyComment
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I used to grow 20 runners and 20 climbing french beans but moved last year, and our garden is not nearly as big so have cut down to 10 of each, ie 10ft frame but you can now see it from the house and therefore it has to look 'pretty', I love looking at vegetables but my husband doesnt! Last summer they were completely stripped of flowers in July, and again in August. I might try the black cotton and I already have birdbaths and feed the birds. And believe it or not 3 cats! but the damn birds come when the cats are inside asleep! my son in law grows runner beans in his greenhouse but mine is full of tomatoes and cucumbers!Comment
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