Apple thieves

   / Apple thieves #1  

homeinwestIL

Bronze Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Messages
69
Location
western Illinois
Tractor
1968 gas Ford 3000
I've been losing apples off of my apple trees. I finished an 8 foot fence around the orchard/garden this Spring so didn't think I could blame the deer. I put up a trailcam in one of the trees and caught them in the act.

Now what to I do? I wouldn't be opposed to shooting them, but they seem to be active mostly between 1 am and 3 am, which is past my bedtime. I have a live trap--if I can catch them I could relocate them to some isolated area a few miles away. There's at least two of them. I got a total of 28 pictures over 3 days, with no more than two of them in any one picture, so there may be more. Any other suggestions?
 
   / Apple thieves #2  
Maybe electric fence of some sort.
 
   / Apple thieves #3  
I just trapped two of those buggers after they got all my late peaches. They would probably have gone after the apples next. I use Hav-A-Heart type traps baited with dry cat food, because I have an outdoor cat and they are used to eating cat food. Other baits will probably work, too, but I'd go for that first even if you don't have cats. It is apparently pretty appealing to them. I don't have a heart after they are trapped and my vulture flock is happy with me. I bought one real Hav-a-Heart and one Harbor Freight knock-off. Both work OK for possums, but the Harbor Freight trap needs modification for raccoons, which you may also catch. The HF trap has too much play in the trap door and a raccoon is smart enough to work on that and get out.

Chuck
 
   / Apple thieves #4  
I've been losing apples off of my apple trees. I finished an 8 foot fence around the orchard/garden this Spring

Put an electric fence wire around the bottom of the fence, one about 3" up off the ground and another strand at about 1' off the ground and another one about 18" off the ground and maybe even one on top. Stand them off the fence about 2". Then make sure the fence is grounded. If they stand on the ground and touch the electric wire, they get zapped. If they climb on the fence and touch the electric wire they also get zapped. The two wires at a12" and 18" worked for us for quite a few years, however, this year some wise ground hogs figured out they could dig under the fence, so that's when I added the lowest line. That took care of them. :)
 
 
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