North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Natelson, Ethan, M.D." <ENatelson@tmhs.org>]

The squirrels are laughing as you wrote this letter.  I have had them carry off more than 100 full-size pears in a few days without leaving behind even a whisker or a toenail.  The same with peaches.   When I have a new pear I would like to be sure I can taste, I build a pouch to cover it  when it is still small with fine aluminum window screening.  If it looks to be maturing, I may cover it with a second layer of stiffer metal screening such as chicken wire.  Even then, the enterprising squirrel may bite off a small branch to get my cage to drop to the ground so they can do some safe-cracking at leisure.

 

From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Caren Kirk
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 1:09 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: [NAFEX] Pear Thief

 

Out of interest, could anyone suggest what would be stealing small pears off my Flemish Beaty in July before they've fully grown and ripened? It's a small, young tree that I planyed last year that set about 8-10 small fruit. However something came and took them at the beginning of July. There were absolutely no signs of damage to the tree and absolutely no trace of the pears.

 

Animalwise we have quite a family of squirrels in the area but it seems to me that they would be too big for a squirrel to carry off. We have the odd raccoon, but the tree is too spindly to hold that kind of weight without branch damage. My kids show no interest in my fruit until it's on a plate in front of them, and they know better. As do the neighbours.

 

Any ideas so I can work out a strategy to protect them for next year?

 

Caren Kirk

St. Jerome, QC

Methodist. Leading Medicine.

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