my absolute favorite way to protect my fruit is by using the clear strawberry / blueberry packaging baskets. they are the best is you have bird, rat, squirrel, raccoon, possum issues in your yard.
It creates a micro climate by trapping heat around the fruit; hence ripening it faster.
The best ones are the ones that snap on and are difficult to open by outdoor creatures.
I truly hope you'd give it a try. it works really well.

I like it.

Do the containers need to have vent holes? Looks look brilliantly simple.

Ethylene, the containers will also trap ethylene which speeds ripening!

That method is sounds awesome. It's a shame that I couldn't have used it on our strawberries before the woodchuck crawled under the 'wildlife netting' and ate them!

Excellent idea! I wish I had read this post before I went on travel for a few days.

@ Maverick. Close, however, I cannot tell from the photos but I suppose that you are snapping the containers over the branches versus snapping on the stems and risking early detachment due to wind or rain. If so, a part of the branch that the to-be-protected fig hangs from is also inside of the container.

It looks like a good idea--guess it's time to start saving my plastic containers.

Great idea thanks for sharing.

Yes, thanks for sharing. Was the first picture of an apple tree? I wonder if it would work for tomatoes...

Bren: actually all the containers have aeration vents. its as Alanmercieca mentioned necessary to prevent overheating and aeration.

Alanmercieca : its is quite difficult for squirrels to open it if you are using the right ones with snapping part.

JD : I'm snapping the containers over the stems and I've yet to lose one single fruit. Ive use it with my guavas and cherimoyas figs and apples to deter garden pests.

goldie : yes it is an apple tree, honestly though I have not tried it with tomato though I don't see why not.


the best thing I can say about this method is that it made my guavas ripen for the first time last year despite them not ripening for the past seven years. I'm sure it is because of the micro climate that is created inside the container. I've already had several sweet ripe Violette de Bordeaux figs this season despite the June gloom we've been having in so-cal.


go4broek this fig is actually in my yard in a 65gallon pot. I have no problem sharing cuttings even if you have nothing to trade.

I thought I'd bump this thread since new forum members may not have seen it, and fruit is ripening. (Thanks, Maverick, for the idea!)

It has worked very well for me also, although in my hot climate it's most effective on fruit that is at least partially shaded. We had very few apricots & peaches this year due to a late frost, and then the birds ate every single one that wasn't protected in these little boxes. They also worked last year for figs. The best boxes snap securely at the corners, and have a sizable gap between the lid and box, which allows you to close it around a branch.

awesome! thanks for bumping! i have started to do this after a squirrel stole one of my peter's honey figs that was just about ready to eat! SO sad!!

do you guys usually put the containers on after it starts to ripen and swell or early on? i've noticed that when it rains sometimes it makes them rot if touching the container even with the vents.

I put them on as soon as birds are showing any interest, but I'm in a dry climate so rot is less of a problem.

Most inventive and clever thing I ever saw!  I throw these plastic boxes away all the time, but now....

Thanks for sharing the tip.

Frank

Great tip!  I have some seeds starting in on of those snap containers, so now I will look for produce in them for future use!

Thanks!
Suzi

thanks for the idea, my figs are a long way from ripening, but I will start saving the containers.

I'm glad you guys are taking advantage of these containers and recycling at the same time.
From prior posts some of you may notice that I was competing with rodents for my fruit. since I utilized these these containers I had my all time record of 2 1/2lb Cherimoya  Dozens of Ruby Supreme and Turnbull Guavas (last year they've eaten every single one) Apple, Figs, monster tomatoes   ect ....... 

From my experience I usually put on the  containers when fruit swells up and is rock hard so I could not knock it off by accident.
Since the container is ventilated I don't worry about humidity build up unless it rains.

Thanks to everyone for recycling
Peace

I use these containers to propagate my cuttings.  They have air holes, keep some humidity in and I have not had any cuttings rot on me yet.

Dennis

Yes, this is a great idea, not only for figs but for those large tomatoes that the squirrels love to ruin while only eating 10% of the fruit. Because I grow (and u-pick) a lot of my produce rather than buy it from the store it is doubtful that if I start collecting now I would have enough to protect the figs and tomatoes. Has anyone had any success locating a source for these containers? I was only able to find wholesale companies who want to sell 1000 at a time. I wish I would have starting collecting a year ago!

Rewton, I've seen these containers at Smart and Final in I think 50 unit in different sizes and at Restaurant Depot if you want to do the whole neighborhood's fruit trees :)

I thought this was a great idea and used it to protect our very last apple on our apple tree.  The apple lasted two days before whatever was eating our apples popped open the container and ate the apple!  I guess next year we're going to have to twist tie the containers shut.  :(

Maketa, are you sure you used the containers that snap lock?
I've never had one opened by an animal. when they try to open it and the fruit is ripe the whole pack falls to the ground then gets pushed around; unless it is crack open on impact with the ground.

Hi Maverick - It was a snap together blueberry container.  My husband did finally admit that the snapping section was a little loose.  So I'm hoping for better luck later this summer for my figs and next year for the apples.

if the lid is loose in the snapping closure?
why not use staples, paper clips, elastic bands, etc?

Did some say they had cuttings? :)