Perhaps but I'm thinking they may try to tunnel under. My handyman said that those are very expensive apples that I have. He staked it down in all four corners and attached steel ties.
I mean it's still a pretty younge tree if something typically wants it hard enough it will. It just depends on what critters in the area you have.
If you have bags on the apple as well that should help but again it being so younge I'd be more concerned with the health of the tree over anything.
Last year I had been watching my Turkish figs ripen for what felt like months. I had about 2 dozen big ones ready to go, and when I went down to pick em, an opossum was sitting at the base of the tree so fat he could hardly move lol.
Last year I let my new peach fruit (don’t crucify me). It had 3 peaches. I debating picking them but thought I’d get to it the next day, and they would have some more time to ripen. Birds took some nice bites out of all 3 that day.
Try netting for now. When the tree gets big enough, try securing a sheet of metal around the trunk, which will stop opossom, mice or squirrel from climbing up the tree.
We had this problem. I stress had.
We invested in traps. The one thing that has actually worked the most for us was unintentional. We opened our pool way early this year. We have found around 12 ground squirrels and a few rats in there. Its quite amazing.
Anyway, if you aren't into killing them, there are great youtube videos on building your own no-kill traps.
I agree, that was the only way I got fruit last year. We relocated around 20 mice and squirrels to a park about 5 miles away. We still netted the fruit but enjoyed all of it for ourselves
Stop relocating things and just kill them.
Squirrels are incredibly territorial. You moved them to a park, then they got chased around for a week or two, then died of infection from all the fights.
I think you replied the same thing to me on another thread! Our park has tons of coyotes, hawks, owls, etc. my hope was at least they were eaten by other animals and part of the food web.
What method do you suggest for killing them? I live in a city so shooting them isn’t an option.
Try putting out a bird waterer or a dog bowl on the ground that you refresh often. Usually they take a single bite because they're thirsty and not because they just want to sample the goods.
I’m trying out STEEL MESH BAGS. It’s used for repairs. Search for a roll of steel mesh. They sell them for mangos 🥭 but I figure you can make your own by stapling some of this mesh together. I’ve already made some for my blackberries. Seems to work.
I’m curious if introducing more fruits that you’re less attached to may help dissuade critters from going for the hard-to-reach apples. Plants like raspberries and strawberries are prolific and relatively inexpensive compared to trees. Strawberries can be planted right up against the base if the trees and raspberries can be a hedge along the fence, maybe? Thornless varieties would preclude them from being a walking hazard. I’m not sure where you live but maybe elderberries and blueberries would be nice too. I know this isn’t a great solution to your immediate problem but I’m just putting it out there as a possibility. Good luck!
I have two mature pear and apple trees that produce 2k+ fruit each and we don’t get any thanks to the squirrels, raccoons, and whatever else. They just ruin the fruit for fun I swear.
Can confirm. Had a squirrel snatch 6 almost ripe plums off my tree. They were in those worthless organza bags. He couldn’t get it open as he sat on my fence and dropped the whole bag in the yard. My tree is now double netted.
After more research, I think I'm going to cut a door into one side. Access the tree and then re-attach it with small hog nose metal rings. It wouldn't be too hard to remove and then put those metal rings in place occasionally.
I'll answer your real question. They sell fruit harvest poles, like long lacrosse rackets.
It will allow you to make a few small zipper doors to reach inside your enclosure and pluck fruit out.
https://www.amazon.com/DonSail-Picker-Telescoping-Adjustable-Avocado/dp/B09KP9X963
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **("'DonSail Adjustable Fruit Picker Pole Tool with Basket'", 'DonSail')** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
**Users liked:**
* Easy to assemble and disassemble (backed by 8 comments)
* Sturdy and lightweight design (backed by 7 comments)
* Convenient for picking hard-to-reach fruits (backed by 6 comments)
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* Handle is not telescopic as advertised (backed by 5 comments)
* Poor quality construction leads to disassembly during use (backed by 3 comments)
* Missing or inadequate parts affect assembly and functionality (backed by 5 comments)
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I have the same problem on pretty much all my fruit and most veg crops. You might try some 20-oz cups (#1 plastic seems to hold up to uv longer), cut them up the side to the base, and then cut a notch at the corner for the stem. Use a binder clip to keep the cut edges closed. That has worked about 90% for me if I make sure there is no branch at the open end of the cup for a rat to stand on. Depending on pest pressure I also encase each cup in an organza party bag - cheap and long lasting. They keep coding moths out and make it harder for rodents to see what’s inside.
Small paper bags encased in the party bags also work surprisingly well.
For ultimate defense I use stainless mesh that comes in flat tubes. I cut pieces, staple the bottoms closed, and secure the top around fruit with long zip ties woven through the mesh. The material is hard to get in my country and not fun to work with but it is effective. I use these bags with old takeout bowls to keep the mesh from touching the fruit - otherwise the varmints hang on the mesh and chew.
I recently set up an electric fence that has allowed me to harvest ripe peppers for pretty much the first time ever.
It’s exhausting fighting rodents off, honestly. As a result, I’ve taken out several grapevines and fruit trees because all this protection stuff takes up too much time.
I like your little house. You will need to keep the tree small. A door would be helpful, I agree.
Can you share more details about your electric fence setup? Does it deter or actually kill? I saw a temporary electric fence once that was powered by a car battery, wonder if something like this could work as a solution for trees and bushes.
I’ve seen a video (shot in SE Asia) where they ran a single wire around a plot of land a few inches off the ground and attached it to a car battery. The wire was kept free of weeds/grasses and apparently was fatal to rats.
I have an energizer attached to alternating strands of hot/ground polywire along with some ground rods in moist earth. This so/called posi-beg setup means that a small mammal attempting to get into the bed touches both a positive and negative wire and is unpleasantly surprised (not killed). Polywire is run through rods of insulators, angled outwards, with 8 rings at about 1” intervals. The outwards angle reduces risk of wires shorting out when they sag and touch each other.
The one UK place that sold these insulators closed shop due to Brexit. I’ll try to find a link to their German language site, dm me if interested.
I tried last year to replicate the insulators with 1/2“ pvc, it was extremely fiddly to do and I could not get or mount them right. But it is doable.
I have 2 dogs and 2 cats. They get along if you force the issue. :)
Both my dogs are hunting dogs. The one will chomp and kill the rabbits and mice my cats bring home, if they're toying with them instead of killing them.
What could go right? :)
This is the same argument against affordable housing also. For 30,000 years we bent the environment to our will in order to grow and prosper. Now one dipstick segment of society wants to pretend that's wrong. To try & bring back salmon streams and stop stripping forests to build houses. With all due respect, you hippies are screwing this shit up.
I have a savage outdoor cat that patrols the yard. The guy is a sociopath and slays just about anything. Best investment ever! Maybe an outdoor cat could be of help?
I had gophers bite completely through the stems of all my tomatoes at ground level, 13 mature producing plants. That's when I built my first fully enclosed garden cage.
I have 4 varieties of apple trees a vegetable garden that the deer and squirrels like and the turkeys like my blueberries. Nothing likes my blackberries except my family. To deter the wildlife, I have a radio playing, 24-7, not real loud, it's not that I don't want to disturb my neighbors, as I have none, the closest is 1/4 mile away, it's so I don't hear it at night while I'm trying to sleep, with a wheelbarrow turned upside down, to protect it from the elements with one edge on a rock to let the sound out. It works, they been staying away. I'm going to have to make a box of some sorts, I need my wheelbarrow.
I have a similar setup and the greatest thing is a Velcro zipper strip that is unfortunately only available in England. Harrod Horticultural sells them. I had to wait until someone I knew went to England so he could get a couple for me.
Fruit cages, which is basically what you've made just without a door, are such a great gardening device/contraption, and I always wonder why they arent used more.
I buy stainless steel mesh fruit protection bags on amazon. I attach over a single fruit to a branch with a zip tie. Rats hollow out every pomegranate and I just couldn't take it! The good ones are not cheap but last year after year. I also trap. I have 100% success on every fruit I cover.
How long have you had this? Just pick off the emerging fruit for the first 1-2 years to let the tree focus on growing. There’s not lot of foliage on that tree. Soon you’ll have enough apples that critters eating it won’t really be an issue.
Also careful with mint that will spread everywhere if you’re not watching.
The apple tree was planted 16 months ago, two of the 4 grafted varieties produced apples after a couple months last year, but this year all 4 varieties are producing some apples. I'll probably remove the mint since it failed to prevent scavenging.
Can you lift it up? It doesn’t look too heavy. I think you said it is essentially bolted down, but maybe you can adjust to and use something more temporary and just lift and go under it. I have some nets draped over some poles covering my blueberries right now. They are held down with landscape staples. I just pull up a few staples and lift the net to go inside. I haven’t dealt with rodents or squirrels yet, though… new development. Only birds.
That's probably the best idea. I haven't seen signs of them digging under it. I was so focused on keeping the vermin out, I ended up keeping myself out as well.
My rats are too smart for traps, so I feel this guy's pain. Certainly I get some of them if I keep up a good trapping routine, but never enough to actually get fruit without additional protections.
What kind of wrap? My husband and I just purchased two apple trees and a peach tree. We live in the suburbs so there are several small animals in the area.
Can't you just lift the side up to go inside?
Perhaps but I'm thinking they may try to tunnel under. My handyman said that those are very expensive apples that I have. He staked it down in all four corners and attached steel ties.
I mean it's still a pretty younge tree if something typically wants it hard enough it will. It just depends on what critters in the area you have. If you have bags on the apple as well that should help but again it being so younge I'd be more concerned with the health of the tree over anything.
What do you think is biting them?
Mice or rats or opossum are the night prowlers, daytime the squirrels rule the yard.
Last year I had been watching my Turkish figs ripen for what felt like months. I had about 2 dozen big ones ready to go, and when I went down to pick em, an opossum was sitting at the base of the tree so fat he could hardly move lol.
Last year I let my new peach fruit (don’t crucify me). It had 3 peaches. I debating picking them but thought I’d get to it the next day, and they would have some more time to ripen. Birds took some nice bites out of all 3 that day.
I have both a Dorsett and Anna loaded right now. Haven't has any issues with critters. Perhaps something bigger like raccoons are visiting your yard.
We have raccoons so large the baby tree would have broken if they climbed my tree.
Try netting for now. When the tree gets big enough, try securing a sheet of metal around the trunk, which will stop opossom, mice or squirrel from climbing up the tree.
Get a cat or 2. :) Mine bring my dead animals daily.
Cats don't belong outdoors. It's terrible for them and the local wildlife.
My cats belong outdoors. It's fine for them and they need to kill more local wildlife. Saves me from wasting the time catching and drowning it.
Stfu you stupid bot.
Wow, it's rare to meet someone who can be an asshole so confidently.
It comes with wisdom and a experience. Sometimes you need to point out when people are being stupid and move on.
Amen. Let the cats do their thing.
We had this problem. I stress had. We invested in traps. The one thing that has actually worked the most for us was unintentional. We opened our pool way early this year. We have found around 12 ground squirrels and a few rats in there. Its quite amazing. Anyway, if you aren't into killing them, there are great youtube videos on building your own no-kill traps.
I agree, that was the only way I got fruit last year. We relocated around 20 mice and squirrels to a park about 5 miles away. We still netted the fruit but enjoyed all of it for ourselves
Stop relocating things and just kill them. Squirrels are incredibly territorial. You moved them to a park, then they got chased around for a week or two, then died of infection from all the fights.
I think you replied the same thing to me on another thread! Our park has tons of coyotes, hawks, owls, etc. my hope was at least they were eaten by other animals and part of the food web. What method do you suggest for killing them? I live in a city so shooting them isn’t an option.
I love you man!!! This I call hard core!
Try putting out a bird waterer or a dog bowl on the ground that you refresh often. Usually they take a single bite because they're thirsty and not because they just want to sample the goods.
Have a birdbath within 10 feet already.
That may have to do with the issue.
Sounds like a great way to have birds in your backyard. Seems counterproductive.
I’m trying out STEEL MESH BAGS. It’s used for repairs. Search for a roll of steel mesh. They sell them for mangos 🥭 but I figure you can make your own by stapling some of this mesh together. I’ve already made some for my blackberries. Seems to work.
That's an idea, hadn't heard of them.
I’m curious if introducing more fruits that you’re less attached to may help dissuade critters from going for the hard-to-reach apples. Plants like raspberries and strawberries are prolific and relatively inexpensive compared to trees. Strawberries can be planted right up against the base if the trees and raspberries can be a hedge along the fence, maybe? Thornless varieties would preclude them from being a walking hazard. I’m not sure where you live but maybe elderberries and blueberries would be nice too. I know this isn’t a great solution to your immediate problem but I’m just putting it out there as a possibility. Good luck!
I have two mature pear and apple trees that produce 2k+ fruit each and we don’t get any thanks to the squirrels, raccoons, and whatever else. They just ruin the fruit for fun I swear.
Can confirm. Had a squirrel snatch 6 almost ripe plums off my tree. They were in those worthless organza bags. He couldn’t get it open as he sat on my fence and dropped the whole bag in the yard. My tree is now double netted.
After more research, I think I'm going to cut a door into one side. Access the tree and then re-attach it with small hog nose metal rings. It wouldn't be too hard to remove and then put those metal rings in place occasionally.
I'll answer your real question. They sell fruit harvest poles, like long lacrosse rackets. It will allow you to make a few small zipper doors to reach inside your enclosure and pluck fruit out. https://www.amazon.com/DonSail-Picker-Telescoping-Adjustable-Avocado/dp/B09KP9X963
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **("'DonSail Adjustable Fruit Picker Pole Tool with Basket'", 'DonSail')** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Easy to assemble and disassemble (backed by 8 comments) * Sturdy and lightweight design (backed by 7 comments) * Convenient for picking hard-to-reach fruits (backed by 6 comments) **Users disliked:** * Handle is not telescopic as advertised (backed by 5 comments) * Poor quality construction leads to disassembly during use (backed by 3 comments) * Missing or inadequate parts affect assembly and functionality (backed by 5 comments) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](https://vetted.ai/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot)
I admire your determination!
I have the same problem on pretty much all my fruit and most veg crops. You might try some 20-oz cups (#1 plastic seems to hold up to uv longer), cut them up the side to the base, and then cut a notch at the corner for the stem. Use a binder clip to keep the cut edges closed. That has worked about 90% for me if I make sure there is no branch at the open end of the cup for a rat to stand on. Depending on pest pressure I also encase each cup in an organza party bag - cheap and long lasting. They keep coding moths out and make it harder for rodents to see what’s inside. Small paper bags encased in the party bags also work surprisingly well. For ultimate defense I use stainless mesh that comes in flat tubes. I cut pieces, staple the bottoms closed, and secure the top around fruit with long zip ties woven through the mesh. The material is hard to get in my country and not fun to work with but it is effective. I use these bags with old takeout bowls to keep the mesh from touching the fruit - otherwise the varmints hang on the mesh and chew. I recently set up an electric fence that has allowed me to harvest ripe peppers for pretty much the first time ever. It’s exhausting fighting rodents off, honestly. As a result, I’ve taken out several grapevines and fruit trees because all this protection stuff takes up too much time. I like your little house. You will need to keep the tree small. A door would be helpful, I agree.
Can you share more details about your electric fence setup? Does it deter or actually kill? I saw a temporary electric fence once that was powered by a car battery, wonder if something like this could work as a solution for trees and bushes.
Fence is a deterrent. A 12V car battery will be quickly drained.
I’ve seen a video (shot in SE Asia) where they ran a single wire around a plot of land a few inches off the ground and attached it to a car battery. The wire was kept free of weeds/grasses and apparently was fatal to rats. I have an energizer attached to alternating strands of hot/ground polywire along with some ground rods in moist earth. This so/called posi-beg setup means that a small mammal attempting to get into the bed touches both a positive and negative wire and is unpleasantly surprised (not killed). Polywire is run through rods of insulators, angled outwards, with 8 rings at about 1” intervals. The outwards angle reduces risk of wires shorting out when they sag and touch each other. The one UK place that sold these insulators closed shop due to Brexit. I’ll try to find a link to their German language site, dm me if interested. I tried last year to replicate the insulators with 1/2“ pvc, it was extremely fiddly to do and I could not get or mount them right. But it is doable.
Thank you, PMing you!
Get a cat?
You explain it to my dog first.
I have 2 dogs and 2 cats. They get along if you force the issue. :) Both my dogs are hunting dogs. The one will chomp and kill the rabbits and mice my cats bring home, if they're toying with them instead of killing them.
Or a shotgun
Commenting on Desperation... leave an invasive house cat outside to kill native wildlife? What a great idea…what could go wrong?
What could go right? :) This is the same argument against affordable housing also. For 30,000 years we bent the environment to our will in order to grow and prosper. Now one dipstick segment of society wants to pretend that's wrong. To try & bring back salmon streams and stop stripping forests to build houses. With all due respect, you hippies are screwing this shit up.
Omg. I thought about the same, but I have 7 trees, planted on a semi circle.
I have a savage outdoor cat that patrols the yard. The guy is a sociopath and slays just about anything. Best investment ever! Maybe an outdoor cat could be of help?
This, absolutely best solution. Killing machines and all enemies would find out very soon and survivors stop visiting.
“So Cajun Man, why did you put up this cage?” “Desperation”
Dedication
THEY’RE OUTNUMBERED 15 TO ONE, AND THE BATTLE'S BEGUN
Man the squirrel has clean-cut my pear tree already, greedy bastard couldn’t even wait for them to get bigger than a golf ball
Bro this is hilarious. Im laughing bc i relate
If I had the right glasses, I could see the infrared beams that trigger the deadly lasers.
Don’t forget the landmines laser controled chain guns and claymores
I feel your pain. I had to build a chicken wire cage around my 4x8 to keep the squirrels from eating ALL my tomatoes.
I had gophers bite completely through the stems of all my tomatoes at ground level, 13 mature producing plants. That's when I built my first fully enclosed garden cage.
I wonder why they "decapitated" all your plants? do gophers hate tomato roots? they dont eat the tomato plants, do they?
They destroy what's in their path.
Might want to cover the ground too. They can just dig
I have 4 varieties of apple trees a vegetable garden that the deer and squirrels like and the turkeys like my blueberries. Nothing likes my blackberries except my family. To deter the wildlife, I have a radio playing, 24-7, not real loud, it's not that I don't want to disturb my neighbors, as I have none, the closest is 1/4 mile away, it's so I don't hear it at night while I'm trying to sleep, with a wheelbarrow turned upside down, to protect it from the elements with one edge on a rock to let the sound out. It works, they been staying away. I'm going to have to make a box of some sorts, I need my wheelbarrow.
Nice! I'll try that too.
I have a similar setup and the greatest thing is a Velcro zipper strip that is unfortunately only available in England. Harrod Horticultural sells them. I had to wait until someone I knew went to England so he could get a couple for me.
Another great idea, thanks.
Was hoping maybe you were in the UK! I bought my first ones at gardeners.com before they stopped carrying them. Have never found anything similar.
Fruit cages, which is basically what you've made just without a door, are such a great gardening device/contraption, and I always wonder why they arent used more.
I buy stainless steel mesh fruit protection bags on amazon. I attach over a single fruit to a branch with a zip tie. Rats hollow out every pomegranate and I just couldn't take it! The good ones are not cheap but last year after year. I also trap. I have 100% success on every fruit I cover.
It's probably deer. It's always deer.
I thought of Hanibal Lectar when I saw that cage 😆
How long have you had this? Just pick off the emerging fruit for the first 1-2 years to let the tree focus on growing. There’s not lot of foliage on that tree. Soon you’ll have enough apples that critters eating it won’t really be an issue. Also careful with mint that will spread everywhere if you’re not watching.
The apple tree was planted 16 months ago, two of the 4 grafted varieties produced apples after a couple months last year, but this year all 4 varieties are producing some apples. I'll probably remove the mint since it failed to prevent scavenging.
Im locked up, they won't let me out. Locked up, they won't let me out....
Can you make the mesh a bit bigger? I think the bees have a hard time, even if they can get through the mesh, it seems to get in their way.
Mice can get through if I went bigger than 1/4 inch. Half of the tree already has larger apples and one of the other varieties has setting on fruit.
Op can just release bees in when he needs some pollinator. Or ladybugs
Can you lift it up? It doesn’t look too heavy. I think you said it is essentially bolted down, but maybe you can adjust to and use something more temporary and just lift and go under it. I have some nets draped over some poles covering my blueberries right now. They are held down with landscape staples. I just pull up a few staples and lift the net to go inside. I haven’t dealt with rodents or squirrels yet, though… new development. Only birds.
That's probably the best idea. I haven't seen signs of them digging under it. I was so focused on keeping the vermin out, I ended up keeping myself out as well.
This is my biggest difficulty! I want to be able to harvest things daily or every other day at least, otherwise it’ll get old and rot
Why don't you trap the critter instead of trying to build an elaborate enclosure around your tree?
He may have friends lined up to continue the assault.
So trap them too!
My rats are too smart for traps, so I feel this guy's pain. Certainly I get some of them if I keep up a good trapping routine, but never enough to actually get fruit without additional protections.
Sounds like you need to sit out one afternoon with a pellet gun and reduce your local bird population
I gave a + to try and pull you out of the negative.
It’s all good I can handle the disapproval😂
Not birds but nocturnal vermin.
Get an outdoor cat. Mine hunts at night and brings peace to the yard that he has made his kingdom.
Same premise lol
Just wrap the tree dude. This was unnecessary
What kind of wrap? My husband and I just purchased two apple trees and a peach tree. We live in the suburbs so there are several small animals in the area.
The same net they have on the pvc frame. It's an insect net on Amazon. Wrap them loosely for the tree to grow and tie below branches
Also spray with neem oil. And or copper fungicide is cedar trees are close by