Kitchen Garden Forum

I've got dessert grapes in one of my tunnels and I've been somewhat smug about them this year as they're covered in fruit. I've tied them in and pruned them, just as Bob F says in his book and every day I look at them with anticipation.

Until today, when I've noticed that something has been eating them. The bunches have been thinned, even though they're nowhere near ripe.

The tunnel has a door at each end and I leave them open during the day. Could it be birds? Or mice?

Tigger wrote:The tunnel has a door at each end and I leave them open during the day. Could it be birds?

Well I've certainly had birds strip lots of grapes off in the Autumn, whilst I was hanging on trying to get the last bit of sugar into the fruit (they were checking more regularly than I was!).

However this is much earlier, so it's hard to say. Can you put any netting over the doors (since you obviously want the ventilation)?

I preseume the grapes are ripe if so. We had to put a grid up at our greenhouse door as blackbirds used to fly in grab a grape still in fight, turn round and fly out.

We also put spolied grapes in a basket on a table near our patio window and a blackbird used to perch on it and help herself - females seem to be braver. It would sit and look in the window if the supply ran out.

They're nowhere near ripe. They're just getting beyond the pinhead size!

could be wine -weevil

Seedling

Two years ago I arrived at the allotment to find three Magpies had entered the greenhouse via the automatic vents and were making a meal of my grapes ....there were two more of the blighters trying to get in to join the party

I had to fit a suspended ceiling out of old curtain material to block off the vents whilst allowing air circulation