Here is the evidence

Herman, that must be sickening! I feel the same way about birds.  Hope you have a trap to catch & relocate that little booger!

Squirrel stew?

Yup I had some issues like that where my Nardi Black, Gino and Aldo mysteriously disappear in the night. Could be either the neighbour's coons or possum. My neighbour told me they made a mistake feeding the coon's family and I have seen a possum.

Tim:Is not help.a trap.
There must be at least a hundred in the 3 huge spruces,and 4 huge Christmass trees my neighbours on both sidea have.
Only a plentitude of large fig trees full of fruits will work for me.
They will eat some,I will eat some,and so on.
What I am afread,is that they might be storing the fruits and not eating them.
If they store them then it is a larger problem because they will take out large quantities for storage.

Herman
Then you may find a treasure of dry fig fruit because the squirrels sometimes abandon the place or forget. I find so many chestnuts half buried in the backyard or front yard which they get from somewhere.

He looks like a little fatty.

Hundred squirrels you will have to share no doubt.

For folks just starting out planting that have these problems 1 can consider options below for those that are already established with trees planted here and there on property you basically have to share with such large population of squirrels.


Only permanent solution for them and most birds i see is to house all fig trees is a  structure made of 1/2 inch or less chicken coup wire roof and all sides high enough to walk into with screen doors and large enough for ones needs.
But not feasable for one that has figs trees planted in different area's of property.



But for someone just starting out housing there trees inground in a large built enclosure of chicken wire roof and sides with sevral screen doors to enter would solve most animal problems including most birds .
Sun and rain would not be a problem coming in .

You folks that use netting for birds i feel bad for and fortunate i dont have any of these problems in my yard.

Looks like its time to blow the dust of the ol red ryder!!!!!!!

I live in a rural area so my 20 ga. shotgun keeps them under control. I tried

Herman, I have two cats, the other day we found 4 paws, a head, and tail of one of these guys. You need to get some pets that will keep these guys out and you can claim you are organic at the same time..

I had a good guard dog but died after 14.5 years.
Now I still have a little one bichon but it doesn't do the job like my pitbull doughter did.
It is a problem only in some years like this one.
I think the coniferous trees did not make good seeds this year because of drought,so that is why they collect figs now.
Last year I did not see them often,at all,but yes I had the big dog outside,so I am not sure if the dog was the reason,or not.

Herman sorry to hear about your dog I too lost my pitbull this year also 14 years old best guard dog we ever had I sure miss him. This year the stupid squirls stole all my Capelas figs thats the only fig tree they attacked and I mean attacked those little buggers bit behind the fig stem and took off a piece of bark and all out of all the figs I had on the tree. Now I have patches of bark missing on the tree and doubt it will branch out there since the Branch embryos are gone where they did the damage.

Herman so sorry to hear about your dog.

Herman and Nelson, I feel your pain.

I had to quit gardening in the ground a few years ago because of a woodchuck the size of a Basset Hound who kept leveling my garden no matter what I did.  The cats take care of the squirrels, but they didn't faze the woodchuck.  He would often sun himself on a rock with one of them.

This year, I moved the shorter trees onto the deck which is about 10' above ground level in case he developed a taste for figs.  A couple of days ago, I glanced out the window to see the varmit scuttling across the deck!  I went out to find that he had taken an enormous chunk out ot 2 huge, almost-ripe Armenian figs!  He had done the same thing to half of the ripe tomatoes.

I LIKE my deck so a shotgun isn't an option.  I can't hit the broad side of a barn with a rifle...and did I mention that I LIKE my deck???  I am trying to figure out how to net or chicken wire the deck without killing myself.  I've never been able to get him into a Havahart.  I NEED a big dog.

C.J. <who is currently homicidal>

Interesting issues you have CJ. Thanks for the chuckles. Please keep us posted on how your wits finally deal with that nuisance varmint.

My only JH Adriatic fig so preciously guarded is missing. I heard the dog barking in the backyard last night but never bothered to check. Well, looks like I got to put my wits together to deter the varmits that have stole it. It was ripening nicely & I told myself to give it another day and paid for the consequences.

Ouch!  Nighttime means opossum, raccoon...or neighbor kids.  Maybe mice, but if the fruit is entirely gone,...not.  If possible, move the trees into the dog's pen/quarters.  . That will certainly deter the neighbor kids.  FWIW, raccoons and opossums aren't particularly bright when it comes to Havahart traps...but if you want relocate them (illegal in almost every state) 40 miles might be sufficient.  I have taken to putting very large, clear, plastic bags over the fruiting sections of my fig trees. (Something is crawing up my Asian pear trees and eating the fruits right off of the branches.)

Good luck.  Let us know if you manage to whack the little wretches.

C.J <who believes that every creature has its place in creation...except in my fig trees>

Herman and Nelson... I feel for you.  I dread the day I lose my dog.  I had no idea I'd get so attached to him.  He's a 106 lb hair factory but I love him.  He's my buddy.

Speaking of Havaharts, I just went out to take a shot of the 59 tally-marks on mine, and saw it was occupied--so I got a felt-tipped pen and made it an even 60. So far, pack rats like this one haven't touched the figs, but they've sure chewed up my citrus! (They gnaw big patches of bark, and nip off all the new little branches.) However, once I got serious about keeping the trap set, the trees are growing properly again--and I mostly catch young rats like this one, who are just arriving from other places.

There was also a family of rock squirrels that moved in a few years ago, and stripped off all of my half-grown apples. The same kind of trap worked great for them, Herman--maybe few strategically-placed Havaharts would rescue your figs as well!

where are the rattlesnakes when you need them?

I think I'll stick with a woodchuck on my deck rather than rattlesnakes. <g>

C.J.

Tonight I had to fight a Paper Wasp (not the kind of wasp we all hope for) for an 'Aldo' fig.  He had his head buried about a third of an inch into the side of the fig.  I've never pinged a wasp before, but I wasn't giving up my fig without a fight.

I also had damage to 'Black Marsellaise' and 'Osbourne Prolific' from grasshoppers.

~james

My cat sleeps in my pots, works for me. Havent lost one to a squirrel or bird. The one squirrel that was around --- was found with the pieces the cats didnt eat. Love my kitties. 

According to my family, My pet Squirrel(S) are having their way with my figs!
It's true what they say: When the cat's away the rats will play.

It will be considered P.E.T.A.'s ultimate sin when I get through with what I'm about to do to them when I return home.

They crossed the wide line when they took off with my ripe Sals Corleone!

Anyone interested in squirrel stew please let me know.