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how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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Posted by ashleysf 9 SF SouthBay (My Page) on Mon, Sep 28, 09 at 2:52
Please add your homegrown tips to this thread if you have any ...
My sad story: For 10 years, I have a fig tree in the backyard and I have not eaten a single ripe fig. The birds ate each and every single ripe fig. And the unripe ones were too astringent for my taste. We have a colony of squirrels running around too - so I cannot fully blame the birds.
I never knew how delicious my homegrown figs were until this year, when I decided to fight them. I wrapped plastic grocery bags around each fig and tied it with twine -took me an hour to do it. There was rain and then there was some sprinkler water, condensation etc so it made all the ripe figs split inside the bags. But, I still got to see ripe figs for the first time ever. They were so delicious and now I know why the birds are so crazy about them. So, in order to control the condensation in the bags, I replaced all of them with ziploc bags with holes punched in them. I used the zipper of the ziploc bags to secure them. This strategy worked for 4 days. But, this morning, my ziploc bags had been removed by birds and dropped on the ground - and 4 of my ripest figs are gone. I am back to the drawing board looking for ideas for protecting my figs. I only get less than 50 figs a year. And ideally, if I harvested half of it, I will be a happy camper. I don't want to pick unripe figs to outsmart the birds as I have been doing. Any help??? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| You might try bird netting. It can be purchased at a garden supply, Walmart or hardware store. |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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I agree with captainjohn about bird netting. I don't net my main trees because they are too big, and the birds would find a way in, but if your tree is small you may be able to keep the enclosure tight. To lift an idea from "The $64 Tomato," you are smarter than the animals, but they think and work at it 24 hrs a day, and there are many of them.
Two other thoughts: 1) put your strategies into place well before the figs ripen. Once the birds get the idea, it's just about impossible to change their minds. 2) offer the birds something they like better at a little distance from your figs. I use an Elderberry bush; the birds seem to like the tart berries better than the sweet figs.
Good luck. Tomatobob |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| I'm having the same problem too. Next year I am going to use netting as well but would have to find something to keep the squirrels away too. I was leaning more towards a 12ga. shotgun XXX buckshots or Federal Max load 3.5" Hi-shock Slugs.
Wouldn't have shoot them, They'll just die of a heart attack. JUST KIDDING LOL All jokes aside but I think chicken wire would work the best on both birds and squirrels and any other critter mother nature has to throw at us.
Just need to find the side where they can't squeeze through. Rafed |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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Rafed,
i was gonna mention some sort of coupe built around fig plant , but then thought how many folks only grow 1 or 2 plants. More than that one would have to build something as large as a dog run that some folks have for there dogs out of small diameter wire.
Im with you though, put my 12g accu choke on modified this way i cant miss em but im not kidding ; )
Luckily i dont have critter problem here yet anyways. |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| I've seen this product effectively used in some fruit orchards in my area. Obviously it is intended for rural areas and is not practical for the average gardener to use......but it sure works!! It keeps the blackbirds from pecking citrus fruit for its oil and the mockingbirds from eating the figs and persimmons. Dan |
Here is a link that might be useful: Bird Cannon
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| socks are better than plastic bags, they breathe. I take my mismatched socks and put one on each of the best figs that i can reach. I then fold the sock over the other nearby figs. As the figs ripen, i move the socks. I guess it wouldn't work if you only have tiny figs. (You could use little kids' socks!) |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| madelaine I hope the socks are clean ;) just kidding. I use aluminum foil strips on my tree to keep birds away.
cut 2" strips the width of the roll, fold in half - to make long 1" strips - and hang on the tree with string. They twirl in the wind and reflect the sun, birds won't go near. Looks kinda funky, but hey it works.... for whatever its worth Sally |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| I think I'll stick to my 12ga. Martin, What do you think about a 45/70?
Would that take care of the squirrels? LOL LOL LOL Rafed |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| Rafed, it would only work if you didn't want to save the tail to tie some fishing jigs. "gene" ps: I've got you cutting chilling for a bit then I will try to root them. |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| Sally's idea is similar to one I've heard, but haven't had to try yet - save up used CD's and tie them onto branches. They're nice and reflective, and very durable. |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| This is just my two cents worth, but being a south Georgia country boy there isn't too much out there that tastes as good as squirrel, I imagine bar-b-q'ed squirrel and stewed figs would taste good together. Using the shotgun method, the only problem I have with squirrels is I don't get enough coming around my fruit trees. |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| HAHA Some good ole Southern Humor I love it! Cecil |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| greyghost61, Up here in the north ( Michigan ) I have your typical brown squirrel and some black squirrels and believe it or not a couple of weeks ago when I was home for a few days I even saw grayish color squirrel! Now in my friends property in Gladwin, Mi. I've seen some albino squirrels Ever wonder how the gray one would taste?
First we would have to spray some Everclear whisky on it.
You know, the 190 proof? And I'd even invite Cecil to join in the feast. Rafed P.S.,
You might want to google the squirrel on airbag videos. |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| No squirrels here in Australia, but I have wrapped figs in torn-up rags held on with a clothes peg, just as the fig begins to ripen. No problem with condensation but persistent rain will keep the rag damp and cause splitting. You can check the ripeness of the fig by how squishy it feels without unwrapping it. When the ripening season progresses I give up with this bother and let the birds take their 20%. |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| I'd sure like to join in on a good squirrel hunt and then the chow down. It's been a while. From the bayou,
"gene" |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| I use the netting every year now. The birds still get a few figs in the top, not the whole fig but poking holes in them. I keep the fig trees pruned small enough so I don't have to stand on a ladder, and the netting is easier that way. It also works well on cherries, which birds LOVE but not when the netting is in place. I attach the netting using wooden spring-loaded clothespins. |
RE: how to outsmart birds - and eat the figs you grow?
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| For figs that I really want to get fully ripe (especially black ones) I cut the bottom off of an aluminum can, cut 2 or 3 slits for the stems of adjacent leaves and the branch itself and slide the bottom of the can over the fig. Before I put it on, I punch a few small hoes in the bottom to let the rain out. Once the can is over the limb, I fold a crimp in the aluminum. Add a nice big plastic snake or plastic owl to the tree and move them every day. Takes some time, but you can reuse the cans and allows you to leave the figs on another day or two to get them fully ripe. You can usually see the figs through the slits. |
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