Your thoughts please on how to protect apples from wasp predation!

We have successfully protected our currant and strawberry crops from
the birds this year with mesh cages. But have lost virtually all of
the apples (good crop from two compact eight foot trees) to wasps and
flies which seemed to get to the fruit before we felt it was 'ripe for
the picking'.
The smallest plastic mesh I have seen is about quarter inch square
which would be no good against the insects.

Do I have to resort to buying old net curtains from junk shops, or is
there a solution out there waiting for my custom?

--
ned

Your thoughts please on how to protect apples from wasp predation!

We have successfully protected our currant and strawberry crops from
the birds this year with mesh cages. But have lost virtually all of
the apples (good crop from two compact eight foot trees) to wasps and
flies which seemed to get to the fruit before we felt it was 'ripe for
the picking'.
The smallest plastic mesh I have seen is about quarter inch square
which would be no good against the insects.

Do I have to resort to buying old net curtains from junk shops, or is
there a solution out there waiting for my custom?

--
ned


I have to suggest to you that old net curtains are the best option, and if you
don't have your own, then those found at charity shops and the like are the
next best option. You should probably couple the nets with something more
desirable to tempt the wasps away from your apples. A glass jar with jam and
water in it usually attracts the wasps and acts as a good trap too.

Hope this helps.

Dave.

DaveDay34 wrote in response to:
Your thoughts please on how to protect apples from wasp predation!
snip

Do I have to resort to buying old net curtains from junk shops, or
is
there a solution out there waiting for my custom?



I have to suggest to you that old net curtains are the best option,
and if you don't have your own, then those found at charity shops
and
the like are the next best option. You should probably couple the
nets with something more desirable to tempt the wasps away from your
apples. A glass jar with jam and water in it usually attracts the
wasps and acts as a good trap too.

Thanks. That's what we will do.

--
ned

Your thoughts please on how to protect apples from wasp predation!

We have successfully protected our currant and strawberry crops from
the birds this year with mesh cages. But have lost virtually all of
the apples (good crop from two compact eight foot trees) to wasps and
flies which seemed to get to the fruit before we felt it was 'ripe for
the picking'.
The smallest plastic mesh I have seen is about quarter inch square
which would be no good against the insects.

Do I have to resort to buying old net curtains from junk shops, or is
there a solution out there waiting for my custom?

--
ned


I have to suggest to you that old net curtains are the best option, and if you
don't have your own, then those found at charity shops and the like are the
next best option. You should probably couple the nets with something more
desirable to tempt the wasps away from your apples. A glass jar with jam and
water in it usually attracts the wasps and acts as a good trap too.

Hope this helps.

Dave.

DaveDay34 wrote in response to:
Your thoughts please on how to protect apples from wasp predation!
snip

Do I have to resort to buying old net curtains from junk shops, or
is
there a solution out there waiting for my custom?



I have to suggest to you that old net curtains are the best option,
and if you don't have your own, then those found at charity shops
and
the like are the next best option. You should probably couple the
nets with something more desirable to tempt the wasps away from your
apples. A glass jar with jam and water in it usually attracts the
wasps and acts as a good trap too.

Thanks. That's what we will do.

--
ned

"ned" wrote in -
berlin.de:

Your thoughts please on how to protect apples from wasp predation!

We have successfully protected our currant and strawberry crops from
the birds this year with mesh cages. But have lost virtually all of
the apples (good crop from two compact eight foot trees) to wasps and
flies which seemed to get to the fruit before we felt it was 'ripe for
the picking'.
The smallest plastic mesh I have seen is about quarter inch square
which would be no good against the insects.


Could you perhaps pick a little earlier next year? The crop on my eater (a
lot bigger than your trees!) is just starting to get wasped a bit now, but
the apples have been edible for about a month.

I've noticed the insects start with the windfalls rather than the apples on
the tree - did you tidy the windfalls away, perhaps, so only the ones on
the tree were available to them? If so, how about setting aside an area
for them to provide an alternative attraction?

Though I suppose if you have particularly thin-skinned apples, the net
curtains may be the only answer.

Victoria

"ned" wrote in message
...
Your thoughts please on how to protect apples from wasp predation!

We have successfully protected our currant and strawberry crops from
the birds this year with mesh cages. But have lost virtually all of
the apples (good crop from two compact eight foot trees) to wasps and
flies which seemed to get to the fruit before we felt it was 'ripe for
the picking'.
The smallest plastic mesh I have seen is about quarter inch square
which would be no good against the insects.

Do I have to resort to buying old net curtains from junk shops, or is
there a solution out there waiting for my custom?

If the wasps are eating the apples then they must be pretty ripe.
At the first sign of wasp attack I would recommend picking the apples and
storing them (wrapped individually in newspaper if you have tha patience and
the newspaper) as they will continue to ripen off the tree, and keep for a
good while as well.
Wasp attack on our plums and greengages is a sign that we haven't noticed
that they are ripe :-)
We ahve only seem wasps go for apples when they are extremely ripe and/or
damaged.

HTH
Dave R

In article , David W.E.
Roberts writes

"ned" wrote in message
...
Your thoughts please on how to protect apples from wasp predation!

We have successfully protected our currant and strawberry crops from
the birds this year with mesh cages. But have lost virtually all of
the apples (good crop from two compact eight foot trees) to wasps and
flies which seemed to get to the fruit before we felt it was 'ripe for
the picking'.
The smallest plastic mesh I have seen is about quarter inch square
which would be no good against the insects.

Do I have to resort to buying old net curtains from junk shops, or is
there a solution out there waiting for my custom?

If the wasps are eating the apples then they must be pretty ripe.
At the first sign of wasp attack I would recommend picking the apples and
storing them (wrapped individually in newspaper if you have tha patience and
the newspaper) as they will continue to ripen off the tree, and keep for a
good while as well.
Wasp attack on our plums and greengages is a sign that we haven't noticed
that they are ripe :-)
We ahve only seem wasps go for apples when they are extremely ripe and/or
damaged.

It's possible that it's the birds who are making the first attack on the
apples - that's what is happening on my Worcester's atm.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm