How can we stop jackdaws ruining our russet crop | Notes and queries

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific concepts

This year we have had a big problem with jackdaws spoiling our apples: they have taken a peck from so much of our fruit that it has ruined a good crop of russets. We never used to have jackdaws round here, but they moved in a few years ago and are now a serious pest - they rival the magpies. Does anyone know why jackdaws arrived here, or if there's anything we can do to prevent them ruining our apples in the future?

Jill Bennett, St Albans, Herts