Best way to protect sweetcorn from birds and animals?

[Thesockthief]

Last year I lost all my sweetcorn despite it being netted, so I can only assume that mice or rats had burrowed under and climbed up as it was chewed down to the husks. This year the tassels are already starting to go brown so I need to protect them. I’ve seen someone on YouTube using socks and also heard of plastic water bottles being used. Any tips or experience as to what’s best?

I've never known birds take an interest (may be different in areas with parakeets), so I'd concentrate on trying to stop climbing rodents. Not sure how though. Socks would just be chewed through.

I gave up growing it because of badgers. They clear a patch overnight and there's nothing to be done about them unless you enclose the entire bed with sturdy, high walls.

Crush those little buggers with some traps

My allotment plot neighbour said that birds eat them. We do have parakeets round here, although I’m not sure if it’s them. I’m pretty sure it was rodents last year though (I’ve definitely had them eaten by squirrels in an old garden). I’ve put water bottles over the ones that are looking ready and constructed a netted cage so let’s see if that helps at all. There are in a raised bed and the previous ones were in the ground so I’m hoping that will help too.