Ripe tomatoes and watermelons may be eaten, leaving large angled holes in the fruit. Nonchemical Control Several methods of nonchemical crow control are useful. Plastic or nylon netting can be placed over tomatoes and watermelons to keep crows out. Make sure the edges are firmly secured by stakes or anchored with soil. Potato seed pieces or young plants can be protected by maintaining high ridges early in the season.
Frightening devices are effective in dispersing crows.
Lights, bright objects and noisemakers work well in scaring birds. Bright colored aluminum strips for frightening birds are commercially available. Aluminum or cloth strips or aluminum pie pans tied to wires stretched over the planting also work. Cord, monofilament fishing line or fine wire, stretched at regular intervals across a planting six to eight feet high, successfully keeps crows out. The system works particularly well with staked tomatoes where the stakes can be used to support the wire, but is also adaptable to most other planting situations.