Others have mentioned a strange mold or fungus on fig after Tropical Storm Lee. It is showing up on my figs now. It's not on all figs, just some of them. One of which was my Native Black that I so much wanted to ripen and get a picture of.





As I've mentioned before I've been having trouble with critters. I wasn't sure what but my son saw a large rat on the neighbors fence one evening.

Here is a picture of a fig partially eaten. you can see the teeth marks where he was stripping the peeling.



Here is Da Rat.



Now I'm not quite sure what did Da Rat in I just found him dead next to my porch. I have set a trap which continually got snapped but never a rat. Perhaps he got a concussion or something. Then again last night right after dark when I was coming from the trees where I had just put on some armor on my ripening fig to keep it safe, I saw my neighbors cat lying on the ground near my steps and I told him to go do his job instead of just lying there. Well maybe he took my word on it and brought me the evidence, anyway one rat gone. 

Here is my fig armor, I'll let you know how it works. The fig in the bottle is a Strawberry. I also have a late season Conadria in armor also. I want to see if it has amber or reddish pulp. The first one I took a picture of might have be a breba.

I had scrape marks and rot all over just one tree - my MBVS.  Strange.  I had to rip off all but two figs and they were literally smaller than the size of a dime.  It was black and grey and seemed to be vertical lines from stem to eye.  Very weird.  Is this what you were seeing also?

Gene, I can't help roaring with laughter on your big find(rat) & armouring. Thanks. Talking about armouring the figs, I may have to spend a few bucks to stop our new dog from hunting out the ripe figs. He has taken all the ripe(just a day/two from picking) figs he can reach. He has even got smart and started using the picnic table to get up higher to pick my Negronne figs. Right now, no ripe figs grown in pots in the backyard is safe from him. He is a 4+ months old Rhod. Ridgeback & they grow so fast & tall. I got to invest on some remote invisible electronic fence otherwise I got to move the figs to the front of the house.

Pic's not visible.

I hope it works this time.

The mold


The mold


Rat damage


Da Rat


Rat Armor


Rat Armor

Gene,

Glad that the rat is dead. Now you have to keep your neighbor's cat around your trees.
Here is picture of my Conadria's main crop.

Navid.

Wow, Gene, your humidity must be something else, to grow mold on your figs like that! Sure looks like a rat was gnawing on that one--if the cat ever slacks off, get a Havahart trap. Mine got Rat #84 last week, and there's no litter box to clean.

Navid, that's looks almost like my earlier one but mine had only a ting of red. I hope to fully ripen one to compare.

Ken, 84 is just about enough to make a gumbo with. I'll keep the havaheart in mind for next year if I have a similar problem. I might be moving and hopefully leave the rats behind.
"gene"

I'm having trouble editing a post. When I click edit it won't go back to the post but opens a new window for a new post.

I want to add that we went through tropical storm Lee last weekend. It drop anywhere from 7 to 20 inches around here and gave us a little blow too. I've never seen any mold like that before.
"gene"

That's some serious rain! I was thrilled to get 1.25 inches in the rain gauge yesterday--the most in my yard this season.

Hi Gene.
i used to see large rats in subways driving the trains, i thinkk the noise and vobration made em run.

Neat armour for your figs.
But i wonder whats going to happen this weekend when the Bears come this weekend to your area.  
Football.   ; )

Martin, the Superdome is like a very large fig armor, except it protect the Saints and it's fans.
"gene"

Like Brats- Smoked!

quote [But i wonder whats going to happen this weekend when the Bears come this weekend to your area Football.   ; )] unquote
Martin,
I guess we don't have to wonder anymore. Just Like I defeated the rat, the Saints defeated the bears. Since Jay sits so often on the ground, you guys might ought to buy him a nice soft chair to sit on. Good game, but it was our turn.

nypd, smoked you say. Thats what Jay butt was doing.

This morning I went out and checked on the fig armor. One was laying on the ground with the fig safe inside. I think a rat knocked it down but couldn't get to the fig. So it moved to another unprotected one which was nowhere near ripe and chewed on it some then gave up.
"gene"

Hey Gene i gotta give credit were its due and its due.
Your team was by far the only pro team i saw on that field today and schooled the Bears on how to play a football game.