I just have mine covered with a bird net, they can not land on the net so really no place for them to pitch.
You can also put a plastic Owl perched on the pole.

Not sure which birds are you dealing with, but you can try feeding them under those trees that they are welcome at. Seeds and bread crumbs treat for a couple of days at the same place could do the trick. I've got lots of sparrows that are nesting in my garden, along with some random pigeons and other birds which i don't know the names of in english, i just feed them in the other part of the garden and they don't seem interested to hang out on the tomato stakes. Hope it works :)

Cheers,
Djole

jpc57,

I would have suggested a pie tin nailed or tacked to the top of the stakes, but if you have to buy them, I can see that being an issue for the number of stakes you have. Perhaps a plastic cup upside down on the stake top? That way it would be an unstable slick place for them to try to perch. Unfortunately, I think they might be likely to blow off and if you nail them on, that might stabilize them enough that the birds could perch on them. Maybe a hole in the rim area and a string tied to the stake that allows the cup to move but not to rise high enough to come off the stake?

Perhaps used CD, DVD, CDR/RW discs over the nail on the top? Most people have a stack of them that come in the mail, have an obsolete program on them or that didn't burn successfully. I think if I looked I could lay my hands on about 20 of them right now and I have not been saving them.

One year when I had a lot of trouble with starlings in the garden, I stapled mylar strips to the top of every wooden post in my Florida weave. It was fairly effective because it rattled in the wind.

Good luck!

Betsy

Something along this line has been used on building ledges in Chicago for the last 30 years, and as a person who visited the Loop regularly for many years, I can testify that it made a significant difference!
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/outdoors/garden-center/bird-x/plastic-spikes-kit-10-ft-8905.html
Lowe's sells something similar.

This one says "pigeons and seagulls only," so apparently this sort of thing may not deter smaller birds.
http://www.nixalite.com/PlasticSpike.aspx

This similar product is supposed to keep cats from digging in the garden. I suppose you could cut them into small pieces and try nailing them to the tops of the stakes.
http://www.gardeners.com/Safe-Cat-Deterrent/31-954,default,pd.html
An alternative would be to cut chickenwire into small squares and bend the outer wires vertical.

But if your small birds don't mind the nails you put on the stakes ... and because they're small birds ... maybe they'd be equally happy to perch on small plastic spikes or chickenwire....

Two of my favorite tomato plants (Black Krim) have been killed by bird poop.

Never heard of this. How does that happen? Is it bacteria or what that does it?

Dave

I have the same quandry as you. I have both treseses and stakes. I think I've solved the problem with the treseses. I string a string horizontaly above the top of the trelese. Birds may land on it b ut after teetering back and forth for a bit, the fly away. If the string is too high the small birds just get under it. A second string strung below the first one seems to keep the smaller birds away. I am glad you mentioned that the nail idea doens't work. I was thinking about something similiar for the stakes. What I have in mind is attatching something very flimsy sticking up above the stake that would not support perching bird. Most likely several of them so a bird couldn't land beside it. Maybe something like cable ties or maybe thin gauge wires. There has to be something that will work (I hope)

Thanks for all of the suggestions, everyone! I am still thinking about what to do.

Digdirt, the plants were small and they were bombarded with bird poop--maybe the poop is acidic, I don't know. But they're dead. Sigh.

Razor wire.

I may have foiled the birds, literally--with foil! So far they haven't been back. I'd post a photo but I don't see a way to do that. :(

jpc57, here are instructions on how to post from Photoshop (a free photo-hosting service):
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hosta/msg0513322013993.html?14

Try the garden commander! It’s a cage developed by a
farmer that keeps deer and wild animals out of your garden. It’s not
expensive, stacks and stores easily. It expands for large traditional
garden rows, and fits a raised garden bed. Best of all, it’s not
expensive. Here’s a link to his website if you are interested: www.gardencommander.com

How is that going to work on a 6' tall row of tomato plants?

Linda

It doesn't work on really tall plants. But it's great protection for the seedlings which are the most vulnerable.

The original poster's problem was :

"But what I don't love is that they sit on the tomato stakes in the garden and crap all over the plants."

This is a different issue that also I have to some extent. Apparently some birds have nests in the trees, maybe also have chicks. So the come and go and sit on top of stakes an poo. I find it just a petty annoyance nothing more.

But birds pecking on tomatoes is a different issue. The do than mostly to get some juice. By leaving dishes of water, bird bath around you can minimize that.

Sey

Thanks. I didn't think of that, and the OP's plants are small.

Linda

The birds that hang out on my trellises are usually insect eaters instead of seed eaters and so helpful with eating insect pests that I don't begrudge them bathroom privileges. Maybe just temporarily tent the plants with row cover or something until they get big enough to survive poop bombs?