In My Garden: Critters!
Above: Galvanized steel around my macadamia nut tree to help prevent squirrels from climbing the tree and taking all the nuts. They are welcome to all that fall to the ground, and there are always plenty to share. Note that I also put a ring of formica around the palm tree behind my macadamia nut tree so that the squirrels can't climb that and jump over to get some macadamia nuts!
If you have a vegetable garden or fruit trees you are going to attract birds and other animals such as skunks, possums, squirrels, rats, mice, and raccoons to name a few. This is usually less of a problem than you might think. Lethal trapping and poisoning is out of the question for me and is not necessary for anyone to do. Let me give you a few ideas that will help.
To prevent tree rats, possums, and squirrels from climbing or jumping into your fruit trees, prune the lower branches of your fruit trees to about 2 feet off the ground and 1-1/2 to 2 feet from other bushes, trees, and fences. Use galvanized venting large enough to fit around the tree trunk. The venting should have an open seam that snaps together or screws together. You can also use flat galvanized sheet metal or Formica sheet to form around the tree trunk and screw together at the seams. You can get all of this at any home improvement type of store. Animals cannot climb up a smooth surface such as steel or Formica as there is nothing for them to get their claws into like the bark of your tree.
To keep birds out of your fruit trees, I use bird netting. Be sure to tie it tightly around the trunk of the tree so that birds can't get inside and get trapped. And make sure it is at least one or two feet off the ground so that snakes and other smaller animals don't get entangled in the netting. They can easily get stuck and, if no one notices they are stuck, can have a slow and agonizing death. I leave folds in the netting that the birds can't see but I can reach inside to pick fruit.
I have tried tying pieces of tin foil and ribbons on the trees, and that only works for a few days to a few weeks before the birds figure it out. I have also tried other methods such as spraying the trees with garlic and hot sauce, and that has not worked for me either. Pruning and netting seems to be the best way to preserve your harvest of fruit.
In my next blog I will cover the vegetable garden, and how to safely keep the birds and other animals from eating all my vegetables.
Above: Close-up of the screwed-together galvanized steel around my macadamia nut tree.
Above: Close-up of bird netting.
