Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - [Market-farming] apples and varmints

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Chris Reid <chriscreid AT yahoo.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] apples and varmints
  • Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:01:08 -0700 (PDT)

Just covered a brand new woodchuck hole right beside the veg area fence and 6 feet from the trunk of an apple tree.Put some paper towels soaked with ammonia in a plastic bagwith the open end toward the tunnel, buried it, covered with hardware cloth anchored with sod staples, then 2" pieces of bluestone, then a couple of logs.  Till now I have seen no holes on this property which has border fencing with sunk hardware cloth that has deterred them so far, but the neighbors on either side definitely have problems with them.

That tree has horizontal branches that begin 2-3 feet max from the base of the tree.  Every year something goes after the apples bigtime, but leaves the other trees alone.  Something with small teeth goes after it first; something with a bigger appetite lately.  Two out of the last three years the tree has been denuded before harvest time.  This year I am spraying with an animal repellent and the rate seems to have dropped down a little.  I have long wondered about a woodchuck but this is the first time I have seen activity by these trees that I could prove was woodchuck activity (I'm not a tracker and am not sure about the bite marks on the apples).

I never see the animal when I am working -- like I said, I have suspected  woodchucks, but it could be raccoons or squirrels, too.

Any suggestions for protecting the tree or ID'ing the varmint/getting rid of it are welcome. 

The vegetables have an errant tomato gnawed on once in awhile, and if the strawberries aren't covered they will be gone after, but otherwise the welded wire extending down a foot or so has worked so far to keep small munchers at bay and no groundhogs have ever made it inside save one baby that probably came up the raspberry canes, and that was about 3 years ago.  Deer fencing was installed after they tipped the branches of the apple trees (Luckily two sides were protected, one is open but far from the fence and with the third protected, apparently the deer don't like to be in this three sided "pen".

I have considered temporary low hardware cloth fencing  with an outward angled top edge.  I have cut down the strongest berry canes nearby that looked like superhighways up into the trees (not the best of berry/apple designs here).

What works?

Thanks,

Chris Reid
Connecticut



  • [Market-farming] apples and varmints, Chris Reid, 08/23/2009

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page