I've seen propane cannons effectively used to protect citrus and fig orchards in a RURAL area.....the intermittent loud firing blasts scares the @!^% birds away.

Dan

Bird Repeller Ribbon You can google it to see where it is sold A poster on another forum uses it for her figs with some success.
Sal

marc, great to hear from you.

I use small nets, they are more fool proof that the owl or stringer things. The only problem is when a wise bird goes to get the figs from entering the bottom, then the poor thing gets nailed by my cats otherwise they work great. I get them on sale in the off season.

Good way to save on cat food also.

Birdnet is THE control. everything else sort of works, or works for a while. Only netting is positive.

Here is a link that might be useful: Figs for Fun Info

If you have a very small tree, you can put a section of nylon stocking over each fig. If you have a huge tree and an extreme obsessive compulsive disorder, it may still work.
Otherwise netting is the answer, try to arrange it so you don't catch a lot of birds, like I always did. They get so tangled up in the neting it takes a long time and a pair of scissors to get them loose.

As I had mentioned many times before, figs are not
a 'natural' fruit here in the USA. So, many vermin
are NOT aware of their sweet taste, and mostly igrore
them. To keep it way, make sure not to let any over-ripe
figs fall on the ground. Once a critter learns about them,
forget about it, him/her and offsping will re-visit.
Last year I had a couple of catbirds that got smart.
They were welcome to eat my few blueberries/grapes I have;
but not my figs. So let's just say that I was not very
friendly with them anymore, and I made them regret it.

I recently read that plants do better when you play classical music, and that the music keeps many pests, including birds, away. How about just a rechargable CD player or portable radio stuck in the branches? And of course, the bird netting!! But you almost need to clothespin the bottoms together, so they can't get in from the bottom. Roll and clothespin.

I only worry about my grapevines, and my figs are containered, so they will be netted along with the vines next year.

Hang a tiger in the tree?

Al

...or a snake! Seems like I recall a picture of a fully loaded fig tree with a nice fat green rubber snake hanging in the branches...
Suzi

Martin/Dieseler,

In your photographs I never see nets on your trees. How do you keep the birds and squirrels away?

Cath

Cath,
im not sure as i have always had 2 bird houses right there in immiediate area hanging on the green shed face above the doors. They do go to the trees once in a whilw but have never bothered the figs they enjoy taking baths in the fountain surrounded by the trees. Now 2 of my dogs do run after them but only when they land on the rocks or grass.Today when i came home from chaperoneing band practice my son told me to put on the gloves he thinks Romeo took care of one small bird and Butch finished it off but when i went out there it was in the link of fence and flew away it was one of many newborns this year. As for the squirrels well theres a story, we dont seem to have many that come in yard but one used to play with Butch the large dog when we had the wooden fence which was scalloped on the top like a wave type look. He used to run on the very top and Butch would chase it then the squirrel would stop look at Butch and make a ee ee noise at him and this really irratateded Butch but he could do nothing but bark at him and the squirrel would do this frequently like a game.We used to get pesky rabbits in our yard as well and another story about Butch almost getting one but he ran into the old wooden fence head on and it knock him to the ground as it really stunned him the rabbit luckily had ducked under the wooden fence as butch was right on him. Since having the newer chainlink fence i rareky see the squirell, the rabbits stay in neighbors yard and the birds still enjoy the fountain.I never have used nets but if need be i would take down the birdhouses. We get the nasty sounding blackbirds, sparrows, robins and some cardinals and finches which are pretty yellow and black and very small, ducks, and messy geese. The blackbirds like to try and raid the others nest. Lately i see more and more seagulls but they dont seem to land by us.SOwwy for long post to your simple question.
Best Health
Martin

Martin,
Enjoyed your "long post" and stories about your dogs. We have a beloved collie who chases deer in suburbia, sometimes 4 at a time. I don't know what she'd do if she ever caught them or if they turned around and chased her. Deer BTW ate the top foot off of my tomatoes this year. They stopped when I sprayed them (the tomatoes) with hot pepper wax. Sigh. I didn't even know deer liked tomato plants.
Cath

Black birds were eating my figs. I tied rubber snakes with fishing line. The birds only ate the figs above the snakes. Finally got a good crop of figs!