last yr was the first yr i actually got a plate full of figs. tho, i enjoyed supplementary protein with them in form of ants. so i'm thinking about tanglefoot. one thing that worries me about this product is i keep reading birds might get trapped. has anyone ran into that issue?

i used one of those mouse trap once where they will get glued to the sticky pad.. it wasn't pretty...

A mixture of Blackstrap molasses and water around the base of the trunk will stop ground ants, this is an old home trick for moving anthills, it does not kill them but they will leave.  I mix it 50-50

The tanglefoot is a goo wiped on to the trunk of the tree. Birds won't have an issue with it. It's a little messy but I apply it right when the figs start swelling.

I've used Tanglefoot for years on all my fruiting type trees.  I attach the paper to the tree trunk with velcro tape and leave a little piece of it sticking out....spread the tanglefoot on.  The little piece of velcro tape makes for a easier, less messy removal at the end of the season.

Birds have not been a problem for me with tanglefoot. Another way to lay down a base is to use cotton batting around the tree trunk then wrap duct tape around the cotton and put the tangle foot on the surface of the duct tape.