Squirrels love my pear tree
 

I have a great pear tree in my front yard that provides some of the
greatest, sweetest pears I've ever tasted. However, the squirrels have found
this out as well and in the past few years, have gotten to all of the pears
before I have. Any ideas on how I can prevent them from stealing my harvest?
There are plenty of other trees nearby, so preventing them from climbing the
trunk of the pear tree wouldn't help.

In article ox35d.17431$He1.6517@attbi_s01, "MPost"
wrote:

I have a great pear tree in my front yard that provides some of the
greatest, sweetest pears I've ever tasted. However, the squirrels have found
this out as well and in the past few years, have gotten to all of the pears
before I have. Any ideas on how I can prevent them from stealing my harvest?
There are plenty of other trees nearby, so preventing them from climbing the
trunk of the pear tree wouldn't help.

Here's the skinny on protecting fruit trees from squirrel harvest:
http://www.paghat.com/squirrelcontrol.html

-paggers

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 01:07:32 GMT, "MPost" opined:

I have a great pear tree in my front yard that provides some of the
greatest, sweetest pears I've ever tasted. However, the squirrels have found
this out as well and in the past few years, have gotten to all of the pears
before I have. Any ideas on how I can prevent them from stealing my harvest?
There are plenty of other trees nearby, so preventing them from climbing the
trunk of the pear tree wouldn't help.


I have a peach tree. I harvested at least 10 bushels of peaches this year, and
that did not count the peaches with one bite out of it from the squirrels. If
you pear tree is producing so few fruits that a squirrel can compete with you,
maybe it's an idea to find out how to increase yields. There is no
compassionate way to keep wildlife out of the wild.





Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

Or maybe you just don't have so many squirrels. I have two dwarf peach
trees that are covered with tiny peaches every year - more yield would
put the branches on the ground! - and as they grow, my squirrels grab
them. They take one bite and throw them down, grab another, etc.

I did not get one ripe peach this year. I tried the bird netting but the
slimy little b**tards chew through and shinny up to grab another unripe
peach.

These are fat sleek squirrels - no starving guys here.

I saw plans for a "wire house" where you basically build a box of 1 x 2s
and hardware cloth - with a door! - to be able to protect the harvest
from the squirrels. Maybe I'll try that next year.

escapee wrote:

I have a peach tree. I harvested at least 10 bushels of peaches this year, and
that did not count the peaches with one bite out of it from the squirrels. If
you pear tree is producing so few fruits that a squirrel can compete with you,
maybe it's an idea to find out how to increase yields. There is no
compassionate way to keep wildlife out of the wild.

I just realized the pear tree I planted out at my mothers had pears, but no more and
I am sure it was the squirrels too. I am thinking about building a wire cage around
the tree. it all seemed to start with the edible pit apricot tree ... it was loaded
and then the squirrels stripped it in 24 hours and after that they went for all the
fruit. Ingrid

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 01:07:32 GMT, "MPost" opined:

I have a great pear tree in my front yard that provides some of the
greatest, sweetest pears I've ever tasted. However, the squirrels have found
this out as well and in the past few years, have gotten to all of the pears
before I have. Any ideas on how I can prevent them from stealing my harvest?
There are plenty of other trees nearby, so preventing them from climbing the
trunk of the pear tree wouldn't help.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

wrote:
I just realized the pear tree I planted out at my mothers had pears, but no more and
I am sure it was the squirrels too. I am thinking about building a wire cage around
the tree. it all seemed to start with the edible pit apricot tree ... it was loaded
and then the squirrels stripped it in 24 hours and after that they went for all the
fruit. Ingrid

The plans I saw were very simple. You build in sections that can be
bolted together on the sides and top and collapsed at the end of the
season and then stacked in the basement. Like making several "screen
doors" with one that is hinged for access to your fruit. It is lot of
work and expense for getting fresh peaches.

If you find something simpler, please post it.

I'd think you would also have to put some barrier down into the ground
to prevent burrowing.

I'd rather use a .22 but my neighbors are too close.

They don't touch my fig tree. I don't like figs and I had tons of them
this year. Gave away baskets of them.

I HATE squirrels.

aluminum conduit 10' high sections. chicken wire. those plastic ties. that is
about how simple I can get it. put concrete block at the bottom, buried stays put
and drive conduit down into holes of block.
yeah. shooting isnt a good thing, but I am getting ready to start trapping and
drowning the tree rats. I am fed up with all their damage.
I LOVE FIGS. I LOVE FIGS I LOVE FIGS I LOVE FIGS I LOVE FIGS
send me some.
Ingrid

Sterling wrote:
The plans I saw were very simple. You build in sections that can be
bolted together on the sides and top and collapsed at the end of the
season and then stacked in the basement. Like making several "screen
doors" with one that is hinged for access to your fruit. It is lot of
work and expense for getting fresh peaches.

If you find something simpler, please post it.

I'd think you would also have to put some barrier down into the ground
to prevent burrowing.

I'd rather use a .22 but my neighbors are too close.

They don't touch my fig tree. I don't like figs and I had tons of them
this year. Gave away baskets of them.

I HATE squirrels.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

The wire room would work. However, dwarf trees should be giving you regular
sized fruit. The fruit is not dwarf, also. Anyway, the structure you are
thinking of is really cheap and easy to build. My tree is about 12 feet tall,
so not really all that beneficial for me to use such a method. I am going to
plant another in the front yard this year to allow neighbors who love my
peaches to come and harvest their own.


On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 23:31:29 -0400, Sterling opined:

Or maybe you just don't have so many squirrels. I have two dwarf peach
trees that are covered with tiny peaches every year - more yield would
put the branches on the ground! - and as they grow, my squirrels grab
them. They take one bite and throw them down, grab another, etc.

I did not get one ripe peach this year. I tried the bird netting but the
slimy little b**tards chew through and shinny up to grab another unripe
peach.

These are fat sleek squirrels - no starving guys here.

I saw plans for a "wire house" where you basically build a box of 1 x 2s
and hardware cloth - with a door! - to be able to protect the harvest
from the squirrels. Maybe I'll try that next year.

escapee wrote:

I have a peach tree. I harvested at least 10 bushels of peaches this year, and
that did not count the peaches with one bite out of it from the squirrels. If
you pear tree is producing so few fruits that a squirrel can compete with you,
maybe it's an idea to find out how to increase yields. There is no
compassionate way to keep wildlife out of the wild.






Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

hmmm...try a solution of hot pepper powder and water, sprayed onto the
ripening fruit. I understand some folks bring the mix to a boil, then cool
it down. Strain before pouring into sprayer through cheescloth or something
similar to avoid stoppages. Difficulty with this approach is that you need
to respray from time to time, especially after a rain. And, of course, you
have to rinse off the fruit before eating....but you do that anyway, don't
you?


"MPost" wrote in message
news:ox35d.17431$He1.6517@attbi_s01...
I have a great pear tree in my front yard that provides some of the
greatest, sweetest pears I've ever tasted. However, the squirrels have
found
this out as well and in the past few years, have gotten to all of the
pears
before I have. Any ideas on how I can prevent them from stealing my
harvest?
There are plenty of other trees nearby, so preventing them from climbing
the
trunk of the pear tree wouldn't help.

Sterling wrote:


I'd rather use a .22 but my neighbors are too close.


If you live out in the country but your neighbors are too close, use a
shotgun with 2 3/4" shells and small shot. If you are in the city, use
an air rifle, but only when you have a clear shot and know what your
backstop will be.

Bob

"escapee" wrote in message
...
The wire room would work. However, dwarf trees should be giving you
regular
sized fruit. The fruit is not dwarf, also. Anyway, the structure you are
thinking of is really cheap and easy to build. My tree is about 12 feet
tall,
so not really all that beneficial for me to use such a method. I am going
to
plant another in the front yard this year to allow neighbors who love my
peaches to come and harvest their own.

Is there a house next to you for sale?

Felice

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 16:51:12 GMT, "Felice Friese" opined:


"escapee" wrote in message
.. .
The wire room would work. However, dwarf trees should be giving you
regular
sized fruit. The fruit is not dwarf, also. Anyway, the structure you are
thinking of is really cheap and easy to build. My tree is about 12 feet
tall,
so not really all that beneficial for me to use such a method. I am going
to
plant another in the front yard this year to allow neighbors who love my
peaches to come and harvest their own.

Is there a house next to you for sale?

Felice


Actually, they just sold one two doors down. I wanted my mom to buy it, but she
is not ready to leave New York and all its illustrious smells.





Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

Lawrence Akutagawa wrote:
hmmm...try a solution of hot pepper powder and water, sprayed onto the
ripening fruit. I understand some folks bring the mix to a boil, then cool
it down. Strain before pouring into sprayer through cheescloth or something
similar to avoid stoppages. Difficulty with this approach is that you need
to respray from time to time, especially after a rain. And, of course, you
have to rinse off the fruit before eating....but you do that anyway, don't
you?

gotta laugh about this. Before I got such good baffles for my bird
feeders, I was going nuts trying to keep the squirrels out of the bird
seed. I tried the cayenne pepper suggestion: shake the hot pepper mix
over the birdseed and the squirrels won't touch it.

well, the greedy little beggars were out there eating the peppered seed
by the handful. My son remarked: Those are squirrels that followed us
from New Orleans - they are out there saying 'you give us a litte' red
wine with this here bird seed, we be havin a feast!"

escapee wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 01:07:32 GMT, "MPost" opined:

I have a peach tree. I harvested at least 10 bushels of peaches this year, and
that did not count the peaches with one bite out of it from the squirrels. If
you pear tree is producing so few fruits that a squirrel can compete with you,
maybe it's an idea to find out how to increase yields. There is no
compassionate way to keep wildlife out of the wild.



It is not so simple. My yard supports between two and three dozens
squirrels, due to the presence of about twenty hickories, several
oaks, and several walnuts. During the warm season they eat in
succession elm, ash, and maple seeds. They never touched the
raspberries, for example, though they have always taken most of the
mulberries from a weeping specimen in the frontyard.

But then all ash trees died within a year, due to the borer, and
suddenly they have a hole in their crop cycle. They have hammered the
raspberries and even tried a few tomatoes.

On 27 Sep 2004 07:40:08 -0700, (simy1) wrote:

escapee wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 01:07:32 GMT, "MPost" opined:

I have a peach tree. I harvested at least 10 bushels of peaches this year, and
that did not count the peaches with one bite out of it from the squirrels. If
you pear tree is producing so few fruits that a squirrel can compete with you,
maybe it's an idea to find out how to increase yields. There is no
compassionate way to keep wildlife out of the wild.



It is not so simple. My yard supports between two and three dozens
squirrels, due to the presence of about twenty hickories, several
oaks, and several walnuts. During the warm season they eat in
succession elm, ash, and maple seeds. They never touched the
raspberries, for example, though they have always taken most of the
mulberries from a weeping specimen in the frontyard.

But then all ash trees died within a year, due to the borer, and
suddenly they have a hole in their crop cycle. They have hammered the
raspberries and even tried a few tomatoes.

You really really need some hawks. I've just been googling squirrel
predators (the building I live in backs onto an urban conservation
area, and boy, oh boy, do we have squirrels! They scale the building
to get at my balcony tomatoes) and after checking out predators at
http://www.britishcolumbia.com/Wildl...ysquirrel.html,
it becomes pretty obvious why squirrels do so well in cities: There
isn't enough continuous habitat to support hawks! So, I guess the
longterm wildlife management question is, now to get more hawks to
live in your neighbourhood?

Shirley Hicks,
Toronto, Ontairo
TB

"A liberal is a conservative who's been through treatment."
- Garrison Keillor