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#1
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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. |
#2
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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 |
#3
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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 |
#4
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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. |
#5
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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. |
#6
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#7
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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. |
#8
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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 |
#9
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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 newsx35d.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. |
#10
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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 |
#11
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"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 |
#12
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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 |
#13
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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!" |
#14
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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. |
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