@ianrwilliams I am sorry to hear about that. I can definitely commiserate with years of effort and very little fruit. I believe I have narrowed my main bandit to the squirrel but I’ll let others be the judge.
I had a similar incident last year with a 35’ tall pear tree covered in pears. I KNOW it wasn’t humans (huge tree and I am super rural). I had been sampling pears and knew they were approaching ripe.
I had checked on the tree Sunday, went to work Monday, went out early Tuesday morning and there were zero pears. Not a core or partially eaten fruit anywhere.
I bought a trail cam after that (based on suggestion here) to see who the culprit was. I aimed the camera at a peach tree near the pear that would ripen soon.
Both the peach and the pear tree are Actually Touching trees that are part of a wooded area on my property (I know it’s a problem that I hope to fix… when I have time … ) so I figured it was a similar situation.
Visitors to peach tree in order of arrival:
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A flock of turkeys - sat on the tree during the day and I saw one attempt to peck a fruit but that was it. Verdict: Not guilty
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Deer - stood on hind legs and bit leaves/fruit also ate stuff on the ground. Also are annoying. Came mostly during day or very early morning. Eat trees year round and drive me crazy. Cannot climb 35’ tree. Verdict: Not guilty. But should be
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Opossom - came at night. 15 days before fruit ripe. Kept coming to tree for ~3 weeks. I never actually saw an opossum eating or carrying a fruit. Entered tree from ground but exited off branches into neighboring tree - small one was okay with surprisingly small branches. However, large opossom fell off of 1/2" branch while trying to get a fruit. Verdict: most entertaining on camera and perhaps was trying to trick me into thinking they couldn’t be the pear bandit
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Squirrel - most came during the day. They started coming 10 days before I thought the fruit was ripe and continued to show up daily. Carried a peach as large as its body while jumping around. Came and left via branches. Could jump with peach onto very tiny autumn olive branches in neighbor tree. Did eat peach on camera but carried off whole and partially eaten fruit into woods.
Squirrels were very tricky and would evade the game camera. I’d be watching a deer and a part of the tree would start to shake in a suspicious manner and maybe I’d catch a flash of a squirrel. Verdict: Probably guilty
- Racoons - came at night in groups starting when fruit was ripe. Mostly ate bites of fruit and dropped rest on ground. Couldn’t get at fruit on smaller branches that didn’t have a place for them to put their weight. Entered and exited tree from ground. Verdict: Not guilty
Pictures of the suspects below:
I do not know why the fruit bandits removed every fruit from the pear and ate the peaches slowly over 3 weeks and even let me have some! I’m thinking the pear was (perhaps oddly) one of the first things to get close to ripe in my yard and they were hungry?
The trees that are separated from the woods fared a lot better with the wildlife, so I am making more of an effort to beat back the wilderness but it’s pretty tough to find time and energy to do so.
Best wishes to all on overcoming fruit bandits.