Protecting your fruit from squirrel's and other critters

Im going to take up falconry

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now there’s a thought…we have a lot of hawks, osprey and owls in the woods behind our house…the other day I saw something swoop out of the sky at one of the squirrels…unfortunately it missed…

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They can even climb a bit straight up – I found half a squirrel in one of my Kania traps yesterday which was over 5’ off the ground on the side of a large tree…

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We have lots of redtails, but they need to pick up their game

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I didn’t know groundhogs climb trees!:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Shadecloth as netting?

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That shade cloth works for many purposes. It’s excellent critter netting. The piece pictured was purchased in the 1970s.

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We have foxes, hawks, owls and what not… still it’s me who exterminates the ground squirrels.

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That set-up looks great, Fruitnut! Do you find the bricks and pipe effective against wood be fruit thieves? Nice! And, may I ask, what is shade cloth?

It’s worked so far for coons and fox. The clothespins are the key…!!

It’s woven black polypropylene 30% shade cloth. There are knit types I haven’t tried. I think there is a woven type that has the threads “welded” in place. The threads can move on mine but the thin areas don’t matter against coons, birds, or hail; my main threats.

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what kind of wire are you using between posts?

Just some thin gauge wire. About like that used for electric fencing.

Fruitnut,
Willyou shade cloth work in the humid east? How fast trees/leaves inside shade cloth will dry out after rain?

It’s bound to slow drying some. Will it matter? I don’t know. I don’t have those issues. The amount of shade is noticeable but not enough to hurt the crop quality here. Even in my greenhouse with twice the shading fruit quality doesn’t suffer.

Any tactics for keeping a 2.5 year old human off my unripe apples? Tart means nothing to him haha. I’m glad he’s foraging, but he’s putting a dent in production.

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I came home to a squirrel in my Liberty apple tree. Not sure what it was doing there. I did not find evidence that it was eating apples. I chased it with a broom running at full speed though. And now am reading up here on trapping options.

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I planted two nice IEB Mulberries just six or so weeks ago. They were absolutely looking beautiful but they are only about 4 feet tall and have 8 or 10 branches on each tree. The leaves have come in huge and very thick, probably three or so weeks ago. Last weekend I walked out to see them and BOTH trees had EVERY single leaf eaten off of them by the deer. They didn’t touch any other tree I have. Not one leaf. I hope they survive. I am getting chicken wire to keep around them. Seems that should do it for deer. wouldn’t you think so?

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As long as it is blocking their path and not movable it will work.

My mulberry took quite a few years to get above deer height but it finally got there and is starting to put on size. It is probably their favorite fruit tree leaf, it has its own devoted sprinkler for protection.

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Thank you Scott. I’m going to cage them this weekend! :+1::sunglasses:

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Exact same thing happened to my newly purchased IEB Mulberry tree. I planted it 4-5 weeks ago and it produced full, lush leaves very quickly. Shortly after that the deer ate every single leaf. So irritating. I put a cage around it and it has come back but not nearly to the point it had reached a few weeks ago.

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