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Dadblame raccoons are eating my GREEN, UNRIPE figs...

fig_insanity Z7b E TN

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

I usually don't start cussing the varmints until the figs start getting ripe, but this year the raccoons have been eating my totally unripe figs...not even CLOSE to ripe. They take one good bite out of a fig, then throw it down, and go to another, as if they think the next one will taste better. And not to mention the aggravation of having to set all of the pots up every morning where they've turned them over by climbing the trees to get to THE UNRIPE FIGS.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I hope the latex is burning their mouths up and giving them diarrhea!

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Comments (3)

rredbbeard
6 years ago
I've posted elsewhere here about the homemade critter repellent I use, cheap and highly effective. If you don't find it, just let me know. In the mean time, mix a raw scrambled egg in a liter of unchlorinated water to get started....

For right now: Grind up fine some red chili pepper, sprinkle it liberally on the ground where the varmints have to walk, also on the fruit and lower branches.

--Rick in CT
fig_insanity Z7b E TN thanked rredbbeard
fig_insanity Z7b E TN
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Rick, thanks for the recommendation, but I was venting more than anything. I have 50+ trees in 20 gallon pots, on average about six feet tall right now, and there's no way to protect them all from varmints short of building a greenhouse around them, lol. We're talking major acreage here, lol. Plus, I have outside cats, and I'm not sure about the chili pepper.

I just found it strange (and frustrating!) that after so many years the raccoons would suddenly decide to eat the unripe figs. They obviously don't like them, since they just taste them and leave them laying on the ground. It's as if they're thinking "Surely the next one will be better".
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rredbbeard
6 years ago
Years ago, I used an electric fence to keep raccoons from climbing/destroying dwarf peach trees. It works well, and is very low risk with cats, kids, etc. The raccoons will learn fast not to cross the line.

The rotten egg repellent is easy, cheap and effective, and can be applied with an old paint brush by flicking it around the perimeter. Application would take ~1 minute 2X or 3X per week. It's not strong enough to bother human noses, but the animals should skip that area.

Btw, thanks for the heads-up on animal damage.

Squirrels (aka FTR's = f'ing tree rats) are the big offender here in suburbia, and I can easily imagine them destroying things. I'll be ready!

--Rr

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