I may finally get to try the ever-popular RdB.  Organza bags were placed on these this evening.

 

Not sure if birds can smell, but rats and voles and other critters can.  The bags have been chewed through every time.  Maybe we have more critters than you.  Fingers Crossed yours work!

Suzi

Looks good Frank. 

I think the problem with critters has been made much worse in our severe drought. There just isn't much of anything out there for them to eat - besides the garden - so the poor things have been eating more than usual. I haven't even had to do the usual weeding cuz 'they' are eating everything! 

hiya, frank,
if only your fruit is threatened, consider yourself lucky. something more than bunnies has been at my trees. leaves, fruit n branches up to 16 1/2'' from the ground have been savaged.

today, i encircled all my trees with cylinders of hardware cloth, 2' high. i'm hoping that works.

i built a 6' high wooden fence around my trees. i had the silly idea this would protect them. yeah, deer can't get in, but smaller vermin can.

good luck with your bags.

I wipe my bags across my sweaty skin in hopes the animals will be worried.  So far I haven't had any losses...

male urine is supposed to be a deterrent. 

Susie that's terrible.  I hope your efforts are rewarded.

Bob, that's actually a good idea.  I've heard human hair is also a good deterrent.

Like Susie said. Take a wiz on a nearby fencepost. Just make sure it's dark out if your in the city ;)

This post is day 2 of using organza bags. The owl I put up a few days later is helping more. The squarell got it hung up on top of the fence. I've found at least 11 bags out of 48 on the ground torn apart. The animals just loved the gift wrapping. Since the owl, I've only had one more lost fig... that I know of.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1283789515&postcount=14

James,

Thanks for keeping me aware.  Luckily, I've never seen a squirrel on my deck.  Birds on the other hand are always around the deck.  My only known threat right now is ants and other little bugs.
As for the in-ground trees, I have caging around most of them and that seems to help with the rabbits, but I've seen birds within the cage.  I'll be covering these with bird netting as the figs get into the ripening stage.

I had my 1st Bourjassotte Noire ripening nicely the other day so I netted a portion of the tree.

Next morning completely gone. I've watched squirrels scamper away along the top of our chain link fence with a fig in mouth.

i got a haveahart. put it out monday. the vermin stole the bait. did it different last nite. right now there's a great big animal in it.

as soon as i finish my coffee, i'll get dressed in heavy clothes, get the gun, n go eliminate the evil thing.

You crack me up Susie.  Hopefully you'll have eliminated the primary source of your problems.  :)

Looking forward to your vermin report, Suzie :)

Ironic that you're using the haveahart trap but then using your gun anyway.

i think it's unethical to move vermin to someplace they can bother other people.  the haveahart philosophy sucks.

THERE WERE  TWO RATS IN THE TRAP. !!!

 in heavy winter clothes to protect from plague carrying fleas, i carried them far from the house.  shot both.

unfortunately neither looked big enow to chew of a fig branch that was 16 1/2'' from  the ground.

the war goes on.

if i saw someone with a haveahart trap releasing something in my area, i'd get the gun.

guess who i'd shoot.

they like peanut butter. the first nite i just spread some on some tinfoil n set it behind the trigger plate. they just came n  ate it without tripping the trap.

yesterday i put peanut butter in the toe of some pantyhose,  tied that to the top of the cage. i figured they'd have to mess around to get it. they did, n got trapped.

everything likes peanut butter.

I'm with Susie about the release philosophy.  Besides, I released a raccoon once about 15 years ago and it scared me to death!  I might have second thoughts about a cotton tail rabbit, though, since they're so cute.  I shot one once and felt bad.

I was at Wolfskill yesterday and did not see one fruit damaged by a bird or other critter.  I think everyone just needs to plant a lot more figs! :)  Or maybe the birds are eating grapes or other fruits instead?

thank you harvey. do city people think no one lives in the country? if it's too nasty to live near you, it's too nasty to live by us.

 RELEASING THESE THINGS IN THE COUNTRY IS WRONG !

by the way, cute little bunnies cost me $150 in new honeysuckles, wisteria, virginia creeper, plus damaged low branches on my figs.

i bot the haveahart because i didn't know what was attacking my figs, plus i don't know how to run traps.

upon reflection, i should have released those rats in some nice suburban neighborhood.

I found that at night time the LED cheap motion detection solar lights work much better than the organza bags.
That's when the rats hunt. They do not like the light

i just now realized that lights aren't enow. if they get in my garden, they might get in my house. mice sometimes do. i actually scream  when i see a mouse. i'd probably have to move if i saw a rat inside. i'll keep killing them.