What kind of critters (TN talk for animals) are others battling? Last week my first ripe fig, a golfball size Chicago Hardy that was already on a HD $5 closeout ugly looking completely horizontal plant I bought 3 weeks ago. It was a day from perfectly ripe and my little organza bags had not come it yet so.....unprotected. Looking down from my deck I saw a chipmunk jump up in the repotted now vertical tree and chomp a bite before losing my mind and chasing him off. I picked the fig, removed his bite side and ate the other half! OK fig, semi-sweet and juicy with crunchy seeds. A taste of thing to come I hope. We have zero insects that have any interest in the fig leaves here. Just birds and other critters. I have seen squirrels and chipmunks eat the figs and possums and raccoons will also. Birds are always a problem with the brown and purple/black figs. Much less so with the white/green/yellow. I have my small organza pull string bags now. I paid $12 per 100 online.(Topsuppliesandgifts ETSY) I am sure they will last years.  When my figs reach maybe 1 inch in diameter I place the bag over them. I know it will stop the wasps which will almost live on the ripe figs all day and the birds. We will see if the bigger critters will be hampered by them. I use bird nets on my berries but I think the bags will solve several problems.the Tell everyone about your critter battles and your defense systems to help us win a few more figs!

 

Down here(Houston) I am battling the mocking birds currently. I just ordered the organza bags so hopefully that will help. Squirrels are sure to follow too..

Thank you for the tip...round here it's BUGS mostly....

We have two major insect problems here in East TN. Japanese beetles and Army worms. The Japanese beetles are currently devouring Raspberry, Grape and Cherry tree leaves. With the Raspberries I will let them do their damage as my ever bearing berries are setting fall fruit and I will not spray. The honey bees have a hard enough time. Japanese beetle will not touch a fig leaf at least here. They are funny eaters....one type of cherry tree the top leaves look like lace, another type of cherry 10 feet away has not been touched, they prefer red raspberry plants as opposed to gold. Army worms also will not touch a fig leaf but all other berry plant are fair game, especially tomato plants.

It is the pesky wasps with the figs. If a ripe one is left unpicked there will be many wasps on that fig the next day. Keep them picked and it will hold down the wasps. Open eyed figs are just a wasp magnet here.  I hope the bags help with that.....we shall see!

Thanks for the input, I will take some losses but I expect to start winning the fig fruit battle.

Off topic but I am more impressed with the Celeste fig each day. As a child we had 2 in our yard and I remember the massive fruit loads in New Orleans. Last year I planted a Celeste and a Brown Turkey trees from a 1 gallon pot and the same size in the ground. One year later the Brown Turkey is about 3 foot high and 2 foot wide with no figs yet. The Celeste is 5 foot tall and a 6-7 foot spread and figlets all over it and leaves the size of plates. I can see why it is the most common fig tree in the South as my memories of it growing up was the massive amount of fruit the trees produced. Most rotted on the tree as fig lovers had a trees of their own and we couldn't give the figs away. In New Orleans all a person did was get a fat cutting and shove it in the ground and it grew. 

Good luck with your crops, I have figlets on my Celeste, Olympian, Lil Ruby, LSU Purple and LSU Gold and a few small potted figs. I even have two figlets on a 4 inch high LSU Champagne under grow lights!

Hello, I had quite a few little figs on my trees in early spring and within two days of taking them out they were getting picked at by the birds. I hung cds with fishing string and since hanging them the birds have not touched not one. The cds constantly swing around causing a glare like movement even with no wind. Is it a couincidance or really working? I don't know but it's been about a month and no little figs missing.

I have heard of that and aluminum foil causing reflection that frighten birds. My problems are the fuzzy critters! I use bird nets which are a real pain in the butt and every year I have to rescue birds caught in the net for my raspberries,blackberries and blueberries. I think next spring I will try the CD's! Thanks!

From the first day I brought out a couple of my trees the small figs got picked at by the birds. Since hanging cds with fishing string I have not seen not one missing. Maybe it's a coincidance but it's been weeks that they haven't touched any. Let's wait and see if this continues or will the birds eventually realize it's no threat and start picking at them. The cds constantly twirl causing a reflection even if there is no wind.