I personally would not leave out the cannons
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I tried the exact same device - 2 in the back yard and 1 in the front. Didn’t work.
So far my squirrels have not bit through the netting but they systematically look for gaps and get in. They sit right under the tree, peel the skin, eat half the fruit, drop the rest and run away. Of course if it is not sweet enough after the first bite the whole fruit is thrown to the ground. SPOILED BRATS!!!
The smell, they always go for the fragrant peaches even though the nectarines right next to it are a lot sweeter.
The only thing that has worked for me is the amazing pair of mourning doves that had a nest on my apricot tree. They chased the squirrels away 24/7. Did not lose a single fruit. The day they left, the squirrels came back with a vengeance.
I have had 100% success with netting individual fruit with window netting fabric and zip ties but thats too much work!
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I may try that on melons
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Sometimes they leave the pits alone and even leave the chewed pieces at the bast of the trees.
Indeed, I have observed both behaviors. It seems when the fruits got riper they started caring less about the pit kernels.
My tube trap is put away. Squirrels don’t bother me anymore. I got no fruit to protect. 3 of my fruit trees died this year. I feel like I don’t even have much to share on the forum other than negativity. 
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So sorry to hear about all the losses. Don’t give up. You may want to consider jujubes. It gives fruit the year it is planted.
I think you will like the fruit ( though they are small). No spray and so far, squirrels do not care for them.
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I haven’t tasted a jujube yet. I’m keeping my eyes open when I’m in Asian stores. I’m hesitant to plant a tree before I taste the fruit. What exotic fruit would you say it tastes like? I imagine it to be like rambutan.
Hang in there Susu. Growing fruit will get better.
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Not like rambutan at all. It is like drier but sweeter apple. It also has some aroma to it. If I have enough fruit set, I will send you a few. Indian markets sell another kind of jujubes. Some call th Indian jujube, crunchy but bland. Good Indian jujubes are juicy but only mildly sweet. It is the crunch that people enjoy.
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Hang in is right! All of us have had the same feeling. And, we have owned trees that have taken 5-10 years to fruit and hang on to it! Patience is the word❤️
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Thank you kindly! I’ll read up on the jujube thread for variety recommendations and places to buy from.
So I thought squirrels are bad but I had no idea that groundhogs are a far worse enemy! They are eating my trees. They’ve wiped out entire fenced In veggie garden. I got nothing left of my fall garden. Now they are eating my caged trees. I think they climb up the wire cage and then eat the tips off the trees. I had no idea they could get to fenced in garden and caged trees. So now I need a solution. My tube trap is not big enough for them. And I don’t want to live trap them and then drown. I just don’t have the guts for it. So I’m thinking maybe these might work? It doesn’t mention anything about groundhogs but if it works for gophers I’m thinking it might work for groundhogs. Anybody with experience using these? Any thoughts?
Different varmints, different habits
They work great. I have them in my yard and it moves them out of a certain area you see their tunnels in. However, it does not kill them. It just pushes them somewhere else. If you have a big yard or area, like I do, it can get rid of them or just push them to another area you do not mind them being in. If it is a smaller area they can get out of your yard. It works pretty fast as well. Probably a week or so.
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Ok…so I think I may have found a groundhog burrow. Found a hole that is about 8 inches wide going into the ground. Can’t be too sure it’s a burrow. Assumed it is since it also has what could be an exit hole few feet away. I’m thinking about using below product to gas them. But I’m concerned about the amount of smoke it would create and if there’s any possibility of fire. Anybody used these before?
I can’t believe the things I’m willing to do for fruit and veggies.
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I just witnessed a squirrel climb a 6 ft wooden fence in seconds. Didn’t think they were able to run up a fence. I put wire cage around my trees thinking that would protect them from squirrels. After seeing them climb the fence, I’m guessing wire cage is no game for them?
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@Susu Somehow I missed your 10/10 post. I had used them before and have ordered some more. How did that go?
The best way to deal with squirrels is to reduce their population (to zero) because they defeat most defenses, requiring more and more measures and $$ to protect things. When they did over $1000 damage to my house I had to come to terms with eliminating them and casting it as a service to mankind. This was extended to all cute little destroyers.
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About the gas, I never got around to order them right away. Then I read an article saying you have to do it before they go to the hibernation chambers for winter. So I’m going to do it in the spring. Glad to hear you’ve used it successfully enough to reorder.
About squirrels I took out about 10 of them (tube trap) last spring before they start breeding. I will do the same this spring. Hopefully that together with a net will give me few fruit.
Anne,
How did you eliminate them? I probably have terminated about fifty of them last growing season but they continue to come from neighboring yards. Without continuous trapping and termination, the most that I kept my yard squirrel-free was ~two weeks. I think the worst ones are those who tried your ripe fruit, as they come back directly to their favorite tree and ignore all traps.