I have a pomegranate tree that gives me lots of wonderful fruit...if the squirrels don't eat them all. In past years, the squirrel population as skyrocketed, and they destroy many oranges, pomegranates, and sunflowers. I have tried various methods, researched for even more effective protective solutions, but none really seemed to be plausible. I decided to try something that I have thought about, and that is to make a "cage" out of rabbit wire, for each pomegranate. I plan on making a couple of dozen wire enclosures. If I can salvage 24 pomegranates, it will have been worth it! Hence this instructable.
Step 1: The Damage Done
The squirrels thoroughly damage/eat the pomegranates. If left on the tree, the birds come in and eat what is left. So...
Step 2: Cut Wire Mesh To Size
I had some rabbit wire on hand, so just cut a piece large enough to encircle one pomegranate. By manipulating the wire with my hands, I was able to construct a rough cage.
Step 3: Use Light Wire To Join Cage at the Edges
Just cut small lengths of light wire, or mechanic's wire, and twist to secure.
Step 4: Place Wire Cage Around Fruit
Surround the fruit with the wire, and mold it closed with your hands. Use wire as in previous step to close cage around fruit.
Step 5: Wait and see If It Works
My pomegrantes are left on the tree until the second week of November. At that point, the sugars are at their maximum, and the flavor is optimal. At this time, I harvest the pomegranates and make juice from them. That juice is very nutritional, and, very expensive. I freeze what I don't use now, and also make a few batches of pomegranate jelley. That will be the subject of another instructable. Watch for it in November.
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A word and a number............ C-4.
Heavy rain
If the bags are not ''waxed'' they will fall apart eventually.
Great Ible! Thanks for answering my question if your expeiriment actually worked! I have cross posted your Ible onto my own website in the DIY Infrastructure forum. (http://neighborhoodfruit.com/node/7272)
Thanks!
Instead of wrapping the fruits one by one, is it not best to wrap the entire tree?
I understand that my proposal is similar to fighting California fires cutting down all trees, but is more likely.
Now seriously. Your method is the best among this three, I think.
I propose you to do a mold for a half shell, it is as easy as find a round stone 8 to 10 cm diameter. After, you can make quickly many shells, then you can cover the fruits easily using black iron wire as hinges / lock.
I live in Argentina, here the "rabbit wire" is little known. Here there are others, I suppose cheaper, example "metal desplegado" (Google translate it as "expanded metal") that is the material used by the roofers as the basis to support the plaster ceilings. Is a iron sheet cutted and expanded as a grid of rhomboid holes, see the attached image. It is very cheap, an very useful for this purpose. If you use it, cut it with scissors (for tin) but warning, burrs are very sharp and they hurt.