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  • From: "fuwa fuwa usagi" <fuwafuwausagi@muchomail.com>
  • To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Tree rats....
  • Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 11:52:19 -0700





It was queried;

Has anyone got an idea of
how I might save at least a few for myself? I don't begrude the squirrels a
share, but last year I got exactly one, that was at the end of a long
branch. Bagging occurs to me as a possibility, although I don't know
whether the plums would survive (I suppose they would be likely to split
as
I have had with pears) and more seriously whether it would be enough to
discourage the tree-rats. Anyway, I will try to bag a few of the plums.
Has anyone tried anything like this?

My reply:

I have a very low wide spreading Ozark Premier that every creature seems to
love. Bu the tree rats love them best of all. Last year I stumbled on an
easy method quite by accident. I use to try and net the tree, which sort of
worked but was a real pain, and often the tree rats would chew an entrance.
So...a windstorm gave me an answer that worked last year. I had netted the
tree and then left on a business trip. I came home 2 weeks later, and like
most fruit enthusiast instead of saying "lo" to the wife and child, I went in
back and looked at my fruit trees first (yeah I know - I am a real pig -
LOL). At first I was greeted by beautiful red fruit glistening in the
tree...then my heart leapt as I noticed there was no net on the tree. Upon
closer examination I discovered a windstorm had moved through and torn on net
off the tree and redistributed another along the trunk of tree only held in
place where I had tried to seal the bottom. Well curious I went inside to
greet the family and then with apil eof mail under my arm I went outside and
sat on the ground with my back against the shed thumbing through the mail and
watching the tree anxiously. Sure enough there was a parade of squirrels
milling about. Chattering and scolding in anger. It seems they could not get
up the tree via the net which was basically a big fluffy ball at the base. A
few tried leaping off the roof top into the tree but a shriek overhead from
a redtailed hawk seemed to dampen their enthusiasm.

Anyway I left the tree unnetted at the top and proceeded to mound the net up
the base of the tree so i could still mow under it. It worked fine. I lost
some fruit to the brave squirrels who would leap from a neighbors locust
tree, but often in the world the daring are rewarded. It was actually kind
of fun watching their desperate antics. And once I managed to prune off an
overhead trees branch with a squirrel on it as he tried to reach the plum
tree. All in all we probably claimed maybe 175 or so big juicy plums over
the three week harvest and the birds, coons possums, squirrels, and foxes
probably still managed a sizable feast but at least we had a share in the
banquet.

The fluffy one


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  • [NAFEX] Tree rats...., fuwa fuwa usagi, 06/05/2006

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