Something ripped the bags of my 3 Flavor King opened and took the fruit. The fruit were far from ripen.
@danzeb, I really feel for you. I got several of my first time fruit taken by animals. No wonder why some of us pick up a gun. Those pests do not leave us with many options.
Man it does suck to lose fruit to varmints this late in the season. I’ve been pretty lucky the past few weeks…just a few pears gone…squirrels. I put a big sheet of plastic over my Flavor King probably over a month ago…and that has worked very well. Actually picked a few today…they are already softening a lot…some have dropped to the ground. Its like a little greenhouse…i just tied it off so it can’t blow away.
This year was the year of the bird pecking for me. Never have i seen so much of it. Everything …from cherries, to the cots, to peaches, to nectarines, plums, apples…
While driving around on the far side of the orchard, I spotted a bag up in an oak tree. Still had some remains of an apple in it. Some squirrel or critter took the bag on and all up the tree and it stuck in the bark. If you don’t tie the bags to a branch the critters pull them off and haul them away.
In my experience, it does not matter you tie bags to a branch or not. Squirrels can bite through plastic bags, eat chunnk of fruit if they cannot take the whole fruit with them.
The only bag that can prevent squirrels from biting through is the screen bags @MrClint has suggested to us.
Squirrels went right through my bread bag… The birds did leave them alone though. It was a half success. No matter what you have to kill all squirrels or get them out of the area.
I have tried 8 diffedent bag types this year…footsies,organza fine net, zip lock,chineese 2 layer brown,clemson,japanese 2 layer blue, new japanese white, organza course net. Winner this year for bugs, disease, and SQUIRRELS = Organza Course Net
I tried organza bags this year but something was able to damage the apples right through the bag- not sure if it was insect or bird. I was going to switch to something else next year. Patrick- where did you get your coarse organza bags- they look a lot different than mine.
Those look like a good quality bags. Can they be used again next season?
Yes. I’ve had them 2 yrs and they look fine except when the squirrels chew them. Sold on Ebay. They come in different sizes. The 10x6 in size sells for about $10 for 50. The smaller ones are $4.50 for 50.
Thanks
I ziploc bagged half of my apples at thinning time. Cut the corners off and kept them puffed up for good air circulation. There has been a bit of sunburn on goldrush but not too bad. I had some rot on GR and williams pride regardless of bagging. I did not take detailed notes but I failed to notice a difference between bagged and unbagged except for sooty blotchy and fly speck, which I don’t care about. I saw one curculio scar on an unbagged one and zero ofm or coddling moth damage on anything. I don’t like that the apples seem to ripen early in the bags. I want my gr to hang but they are starting to drop already prior to much cool weather.
I plan to give surround a try next year.
When your trees are young they don’t seem seem to get as many bugs as after a few years. I think it takes a while for the bugs to find them.
You’re probably right. Almost every pear on my neighbors pineapple pear across the street has curc scars. I’m sure I’ll get hammered soon enough. I bought some footies too, perhaps those will not advance the ripening as much as ziploc.
At least stewed!
Looking at some different options, anyone have any input on the below? 
What would stop a squirrel from gnawing through the small mesh and ripping the apple off of the tree? Good for everything else if you spray first.
Hopefully I won’t have any squirrels when my peaches are on the tree. I try to keep them cleaned out. I was hoping to stop plum curculios
That’s what the bags are useful for
The one above is for fish bait and the mesh seems a little large. Also, maybe the bag would not expand enough. Last year I bagged peaches in nylon stockings I cut up. I took a foot stocking and cut it in half. The top half had a thicker cuff and seemed to protect the fruit better
I tried ten types of bags. Some ordered direct from Japan, some from China. Clemson and Footsie and Organza… I think I have used em all over the last four years.
Now I think I have a winner. Squirrel proof!
This is what it looks like. (Heavier mesh than Organza). 15x25 cm size. I get Japanese quality Apples. $10 each in their makets! https://www.ebay.com/itm/192219913513
if link dies, search ebay for “Useful Garden Netting Protect Bag Plant Fruit Against Insects Mosquito Bug”
