Loquat ideas, anyone?

[Bilby]

They don't really ripen "naked" on the counter but you could try forcing them in a paper bag with a ripe banana. Might work. Won't cost you anything to try anyway!

Are you able to put some meshing around a branch or two to protect the fruit from the squirrels? Sort of like a mesh balloon around the fruiting bit and back further into the branch. A clear plastic bag over the fruit first might also assist. Can't say we have a squirrel problem over here. Get a couple of rats when the mango tree is in fruit but the only other animals that go after the fruits are the birds and the skinks.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

They don't really ripen "naked" on the counter but you could try forcing them in a paper bag with a ripe banana. Might work. Won't cost you anything to try anyway!

Are you able to put some meshing around a branch or two to protect the fruit from the squirrels? Sort of like a mesh balloon around the fruiting bit and back further into the branch. A clear plastic bag over the fruit first might also assist. Can't say we have a squirrel problem over here. Get a couple of rats when the mango tree is in fruit but the only other animals that go after the fruits are the birds and the skinks.

Thanks Bilby. You're right - it costs nothing to try it. I've never even considered trying to protect the fruit from the wildlife. I guess I just thought it would be a battle I couldn't win. I tried keeping the raccoons from climbing the loquat trees and thus gaining entrance to my attic. I nailed a very wide strip of plastic around the tree and slathered it with vaseline. It worked for a while but now I have a band of vaseline-eating raccoons in my attic.

 

[Bilby]

Ah, can't say we have that problem either!!

Another suggestion - why not get some or a heap of the fruit and locate it at the base of the tree so the animals go to the easier meal spot. Might save some of the upper branches for you. Or an Elizabethan collar around the trunk of the tree, like they do for cats. Have it so the collar points down and stiff so they can't climb over it so much.

The serious orchardists have to put meshing over the trees around here for the birds. Parrots adore the stone fruits.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I hadn't thought of the collar but it's a great idea! Will try it.

I'm sure it's a problem but I'll bet it's a glorious sight - fruit trees full of gorgeous, lively parrots.

 

[Bilby]

Can get noisy though. The white crested black cockatoos are incredibly noisy when they are doing the practice flights before flying north, and then again on the return trip. The galahs aren't bad sound wise, but the crows, lorikeets and twenty-eights fly in packs and can terrify the cats! Get the best part of twenty different easily identifiable species of birds around here and that's just at my house! Hate to think how many there are in the bush near by (in a good way I mean)!