North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

Thanks, guys

I may try the basic pest trick I've done for years - have an easily
available preferable food source for the varmints, and make the produce I
value harder to reach.  

My old deer fence would have been a fairly easy leap, for instance, but the
deer were so happy with the clover I had planted all around.  Birds used to
prefer the red 'seed' cherry I planted, and never touched the prettily
blushed and sweet Royal Anns planted right next to.  This new property is
rife with berries the birds love, yet are inedible to us humans, or not very
desirable.  Anyway, I find barrier methods that would otherwise fail have
worked when there's another, easier, food source nearby.  So maybe I
squirrel feeder filled during the times they would otherwise be raiding the
garden.  I would try not to leave it full all year - I'm afraid of a
population explosion.  

I never did find a preferred food for my old gopher plague.  But a gopher
snake the size of a Plymouth showed up, and we already had owls - that
seemed to work.  The snake was gorgeous, and would just laze out in the
front yard sun, completely nonplussed by humans (some of whom were very
plussed by him), between hunts.  

Stephen Sadler, Ph.D.
USDA 9, AHS heat zone 8, 
Sacramento CA - Mediterranean climate

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
natelson@stehlinclinic.com
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 4:06 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] fruit bagging

Dear Stephen,

     Here in Houston, bagging with various materials worked well for me
for a few years, but the birds and squirrels soon realized the
vulnerability of the bagging system, regardless of the material used.
 This year I made bags out of aluminum screening material and
staples.  I would say this gave about 85% protection but was more
time consuming.  When the bag failed, it was because they gnawed a
perfect circle about 3" in diameter in it to get at the pear or
apple. The screen bags did deter the birds, however.  Next year I
will try the zip lock bag plus the screening.

                              Regards, Ethan