North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>]

On Aug 26, 2012, at 8:18 PM, Road's End Farm wrote:

> 
> On Aug 26, 2012, at 8:08 PM, sherwin wrote:
> 
>> I cannot believe animals are smart enough to know that there is  
>> something yummy inside the plastic bags.
> 
> 
> Their eyes work, don't they?
> 
> Underestimating non-human critters is often a bad idea.
> 
> 
> 
> -- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think
> Fresh-market organic produce, small scale

Their eyes work, and so do their paws. Two years ago I bagged about half the 
apples, and the unbagged ones were eaten first, but then the bagged ones 
went. Last year I meticulously bagged all the apples. Shortly thereafter, I 
started to find ziplock baggies on the ground. Sometimes, I found a little 
apple at the base of an oak tree. Once, I startled a squirrel in the tree, 
and it dropped an apple on to the ground. A bit later in the year, a squirrel 
dropped an apple onto my head! (On purpose? I doubt it, but who knows.)

This year I only bagged a couple of apples on a different tree. They all 
disappeared. Did the critters prefer the bagged apples? I don't know. Maybe 
they just preferred that tree to the Jonathan. Still, bagging is not going to 
protect my fruit.

I might try the bird netting next year, if the other tree produces anything.

Meanwhile, I'll eat an apple and observe its seeds.

Thanks,
Ginda