I wanted to see what the latest strategies are on defeating Curculio, apple Maggot, western cherry fruit fly and Coddling moth etc… Sour cherries are a fruit I’m always willing to take my lumps on with no protection. In my area if you do that with some apples, plums, sweet cherries, etc. you will be doing without! I had good success with plastic thanks to @mamuang Bagging plums with bread bags. Open to suggestions/comments - #17 by Brethil. I’m not opposed to using pesticide when I need to but at times it’s not overly effective either. I like the idea of Organza bags but have not seen them used practically yet. They are fairly inexpensive https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XMPHCT2/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1527209262&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=6+inch+wedding+bags&dpPl=1&dpID=31jKXUSt0HL&ref=plSrch. What are your thoughts? I know there are a 100 threads like this and each with a slightly different focus.
I currently bag peaches/plums/pluots/cherries with those organza bags. You need at least the 5x7" bags for peaches, so far so good is my small yard. I’m mostly looking to deter squirrels, birds, and insects(wasps), I spray surround also.
I’ve use all kinds of bags, including organza bags. Unfortunately, organza bags alone do not protect against PC or OFM. They somehow can lay eggs through the bags where fruit touch bags.
I put bags on fruit and spray Surround on bags instead. Surround sticks to bags, help deter bugs and protect fruit from being covered by Surround.
Very clever! I had the curculio sneak through my cut corners on the plastic bags! They are little miniature devils with big noses lol! Hate curcs with a passion!
This is my first year doing this and do not know how effective these will be. I put these on yesterday to my second year Apples, Plum, Peaches and Nectarine.
I don’t use plastic ziplock bags with stone fruit. I am concerned about lack of air ventilation. I only use plastic bags on apples and pears.
Footsox. I used them on apples. Worked well. Not on peaches. PC and OFM laid eggs through my footsox. ( I seem to have hellish PC and OFM).
For plums, they are small and hang in row. Too tidious to bag individually. I use long bread bags to bag a whole section or branch. Then spray Surround on the bags. Without Surround, PC and OFM could damage any plums that touch bread bags.
Lot of work to be less chemical but I have only a few trees and all my trees are short so it is not to difficult to manage.
Ty for these tips
I’m going with copper anti-rodent mesh sleeves tied off, but I’m doing it for bigger bugs and wasps, not the small ones (the links are too big for fruit flies, etc). And it’s for rodents, raccoons, possums and deer --I’m going to add hot pepper on the outsides of the mesh bags.
I’ll get pics if I ever get a minute without rain that I’m not too busy catching up out there! Well, now it’s quick thunderstorms rolling thru or by, but I’m not twisting copper on trees with lightning around, lol.
I sprayed fungicide today, hoping for little/no rain tonight, and I can report that the copper mesh sleeve bags allow for spray with zero problems. I was afraid the spray might not want to go through the links well.
I was rushing to get it on, so still no pics. Sorry 