Well crap...
This was a few weekends ago. We had a little over half a dozen apples developing nicely...
And this was last weekend.
They are all gone!
There were no half eaten ones on the ground. No parts or cores. No remnants at all.
Now we know there are various predators lurking around. These were a good 6 to 8 feet up into the tree. There were no tracks around (and the ground was wet) and no broken branches. There was bird netting over the top and most of these were more "inside" the tree than on an outer branch.
Squirrels? They were probably too big and heavy for a squirrel to handle without dropping one, plus in ten years, we've never even seen a squirrel. Deer would have probably damaged the tree getting to them and there are rows of fishing line all around it.
Opossum? Raccoons? Do they climb trees? The branches are not exactly strong enough we would think to support a climbing animal.
The only other thing we can think of is that a storm blew them off onto the ground and THEN wildlife had an all you can eat buffet, ha.
We will just have to learn to coexist and figure out a way to keep them next year.
Might have been some two legged critters passing thru that took them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame but I guess some sort of creature had a nice dessert.
ReplyDeleteI know you don't have bears in your area but it is listed in this article.
https://pestpointers.com/animals-that-love-eating-apple-trees-how-to-repel-them/
My thoughts. I would say it's probably a racoon. They do like to climb, stretch out for what they want and they love apples.
DeleteGet them trail Cams set up and you just might see who the apple thief is.
Well, this is certainly an 🍎🍏 poser! 🤔Who or what hijacked your 🍏🍎tree? Raccoons 🦝can climb, but do they like 🍎🍏s? 🤷
ReplyDeleteLOL ... They probably dropped off and the passing critters got a treat!
Humans.. Check your camera, and get another one to focus on the garden
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was a human!
ReplyDeleteRaccoons might surprise you. They're good climbers.
ReplyDeletePossums! Google Possums and damage to fruit trees. Also things you can do to keep them out of trees. Things they don't like the small of. The main thing is damage to the bark and then insects can do further damage. We planted an orchard over 40+ years ago. They can kill a young tree. Netting does help to protect fruit but trapped too many birds. Take an old CD or a pack of new, hang by a string in tree. They move in the wind and reflect light and will keep bird population down! Planting trees is for the future. Lasting long after we are gone!
ReplyDeleteI use rubber snakes. Or, you can make a snake out of a garden hose portion and put a head and eyes on it. The location needs to be changed often.
ReplyDeleteMost likely the tree shed them itself and then deer came and ate them off the ground. That is the natural order of things. I have never known coons to remove apples from a tree. They could and would have taken them from the ground. But coons are messy creatures and would likely have left some crumbs. You are not in squirrel country, but they are certainly capable. My money is still on the deer.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking deer ... they will stand on their hind hooves to get fruit up in a tree.
ReplyDeleteI have two mango trees, one in the front and one in the back yard. The one in the front will be picked clean overnight sometimes. I think someone steels them, my bedroom is in the back of the house, and I am a sound sleeper. The squirrels and birds just take bites out of them and go to the next one. I have so many in the back yard I send everyone I see home with a bag. I took a nice box to church last week, and they were grabbed up very quick. I will take more tonight.
ReplyDeleteHow disappointing!
ReplyDeleteI think your apples could have blown down during a storm and then it was a free buffet for everything.
Or dry, hot conditions could have caused the tree to drop its fruit.
Or possums or raccoons. I have seen both in my backyard. I also have lots of squirrels. One or a combination of those critters totally robbed every persimmon from my big tree. I was watching the fruit, waiting until it turned from green to orange. Well, they were watching it also.