North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[sherwin <sherwindu@att.net>]

On 3/31/2016 10:53 PM, Ginda Fisher wrote:
> On Mar 31, 2016, at 11:41 AM, Jono Neiger wrote:
>
> > Hi
> > Im wondering what people think of bagging individual fruit as in using
> > "fruit bags" or "Japanese fruit bags"
> >
> > Ive thought of trying it but havent gotten around to it. And I have several
> > clients looking for them. Any sources?
> >
> > (sorry if this is a repeat topic- I didnt search the archives)
> >
> > thanks
> >
> > Jono
> I also used zip-lock baggies to protect apples for a couple of years. I cut 
> off a corner of each bag, so they wouldn't fill with water. This did a good 
> job of keeping out insects. More importantly, it did a surprisingly good job 
> of keep out cedar apple rust. I have more problems with rust than with 
> insects, due to my location and there not being many domestic apples around.
>
> But, the local critters learned that bags meant yummy food, and they 
> selectively ate all the bagged fruit (but didn't notice all the unbagged 
> fruit.) So I gave up.
>
> Mostly it was squirrels, which just chewed through the bags to get at the 
> apples. But the funniest was when I found a an apple that had been 1/3 eaten, 
> and then carefully re-sealed into the bag. I assume that was a raccoon. (The 
> teeth marks were the right size for a raccoon, as well as the odd behavior.)
>
> Ginda Fisher
> eastern MA, zone 6
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  Ginda,

   I found just cutting slits in the bottom of the zip-locks allowed 
for drainage and perhaps provided less of an entry point
   for the insects.  The problem with zip-locks is at the fruit stem 
where bugs like aphids would enter.  I didn't want to put
   in the effort, but some people add a twist tie to complete that seal 
at the fruit stem.

   Your critters seem more aggressive than mine.  Mine mainly went for 
the fruit on the ground.  The bags did slow them down
   a bit.  My solution for the critters was to trap and remove them.  A 
big job, at first, but then the population seemed to
   subside with subsequent seasons.

   Some of my semi-dwarfs produced a huge amount of fruit (over 200 
fruits after thinning), so putting on these bags became
   a chore.  My solution is to go for smaller trees like on M27 as I 
don't need huge crops.  I also find that sticky traps are very
   effective, even without lures.  I will use the bags this year, but 
only on my prized fruits.  I may also do an occasional spray
   if time and opportunity present itself.

                     Sherwin

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