Starlings
- To: Medit Plant List
- Subject: Starlings
- From: M* H*
- Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 05:25:08 -0700
Starlings have become a great problem in this area in the vineyards; great
flocks of them appear just as the grapes are ripening and they can decimate
a crop. We had a vineyard and winery for 14 years and used traps, gas
cannons and even a roaming employee (sometimes me!) on an ATV armed with a
rifle, to scare them away.
House finches (Linnets) also have become a problem; unlike the starlings,
who eat the grapes whole, the finches just peck a little hole in the grape,
which allows bacteria in and subsequent rot. Since we retired and sold the
vineyard, I can again appreciate the glittering, swooping flocks...
Margy Houtz
Santa Ynez Valley, California
Sunset Zone 14
