Author Topic: Damn! Something Just Took a Mango Off My Tree. (Read 7805 times)

Carbo · « **on:** May 23, 2014, 11:30:36 AM »

My Cogshall is loaded with 70 mangoes. I'm watching them fill out nicely, blushing red, while I dream of a June filled with sweet and juicy fruits. Alas, it may not be. Just now saw this mango on the ground. My first thought was a squirrel. But by the tooth/beak pattern in the fruit, I'm thinking Blue Jay, especially since there are a pair of them looking down on me as we speak. Am I doomed, now that they have acquired a taste? When can/should I pick the mangoes. They look close to being ready, but it seems awful early in the season for Cogshalls.

PS: that mango sure does look juicy!

bsbullie · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2014, 11:45:43 AM »

Try hanging some cds or aluminum foil pie plates in the tree. Unfortunately thosecare not ready to pick. They should color up more. The red coloration should be darker and more distinct without that hazy look.

puglvr1 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2014, 12:04:57 PM »

So Sorry!! been there done that!! Unfortunately, once they've had a taste....they will be back

Last year they ate some of my GREEN ones too!!

...after that I started bagging and using some of the plastic container...they weren't fool proof but I saved about 2/3 of my mangoes...Good luck!!

Nice looking Cogshall btw!!

Carbo · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2014, 12:06:25 PM »

Quote from: bsbullie on May 23, 2014, 11:45:43 AM

Try hanging some cds or aluminum foil pie plates in the tree. Unfortunately thosecare not ready to pick. They should color up more. The red coloration should be darker and more distinct without that hazy look.

I figured they aren't ready to pick. And it was definitely a blue jay. He has been back twice today, in the tree looking for another meal. I can see this is going to be a battle of wills.

Carbo · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2014, 12:08:43 PM »

Quote from: puglvr1 on May 23, 2014, 12:04:57 PM

So Sorry!! been there done that!! Unfortunately, once they've had a taste....they will be back

Last year they ate some of my GREEN ones too!! ...after that I started bagging and using some of the plastic container...they weren't fool proof but I saved about 2/3 of my mangoes...Good luck!!

Nice looking Cogshall btw!!

Hi, Pug. I've used the plastic clam shell packaging on a few of the mangoes on the ground. But the rest of the tree is fair game, unfortunately. My cat seems to enjoy the view of the Jays. . .

Tropicalgrower89 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2014, 12:09:25 PM »

That sucks.

Hopefully the old huge mango trees that some of my neighbors have act as distraction from my small mango trees.

Those mangoes just sit up there for the animals to enjoy since they don't even bother harvesting them.

SWRancher · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2014, 01:04:09 PM »

In my yard, blue jays are one of the worst mango thief's, very smart and persistent. One thing that has helped keep them at bay is having a birdseed feeder in the yard. they usually seem to prefer jay seed mix over mangos.

Carbo · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2014, 01:07:44 PM »

Quote from: SWRancher on May 23, 2014, 01:04:09 PM

In my yard, blue jays are one of the worst mango thief's, very smart and persistent. One thing that has helped keep them at bay is having a birdseed feeder in the yard. they usually seem to prefer jay seed mix over mangos.

I've been thinking of going with the feed station. But my concern is will this fill them up so they ignore the mangoes, or attract more birds who will see the fruit and acquire a taste??

y0rascal · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2014, 01:08:27 PM »

that is a nice cogshall mango tree, can't stop looking at it. lol.

Carbo · « **Reply #9 on:** May 23, 2014, 02:12:22 PM »

Quote from: y0rascal on May 23, 2014, 01:08:27 PM

that is a nice cogshall mango tree, can't stop looking at it. lol.

Thanks, rascal. 5 years inground from a 3 gallon pot. First year it has produced heavily. I'll be damned if I'm going to share the fruits of my labor, literally, with the Blue Jays.

savemejebus · « **Reply #10 on:** May 23, 2014, 02:22:42 PM »

The return of the blue jays is usually how I know the glenn mangoes are getting ready to pick. They go to town on them. I wonder how blue jay tastes on the grill.

Yorgos · « **Reply #11 on:** May 23, 2014, 02:25:35 PM »

Try .410 spray. It may be illegal in your area though.

gabodymod · « **Reply #12 on:** May 23, 2014, 02:34:37 PM »

Sorry about your mangoes. They are squirrels eating them. Same here.

Guillermo.

MangoFang · « **Reply #13 on:** May 23, 2014, 02:37:39 PM »

Carbo - great tree! Why not try covering it (or wrapping it, for just a month or so to get those birds away?
...with either bird netting or shade cloth.....

Gary

Carbo · « **Reply #14 on:** May 23, 2014, 02:55:16 PM »

Quote from: gabodymod on May 23, 2014, 02:34:37 PM

Sorry about your mangoes. They are squirrels eating them. Same here.

Guillermo.

Guillermo, this was definitely the work of a Blue Jay. There is a pair of them hanging around and I've chased them out of the tree twice today. And the scraping in the flesh looks like the work of a beak to me.

Carbo · « **Reply #15 on:** May 23, 2014, 02:58:05 PM »

Quote from: MangoFang on May 23, 2014, 02:37:39 PM

Carbo - great tree! Why not try covering it (or wrapping it, for just a month or so to get those birds away?
...with either bird netting or shade cloth.....

Gary

Gary, I think with the size of the tree, (it's about 12 feet, maybe 13 feet tall), it would be problematic. Probably even more so to take the cover off. I'm toying with the idea of using my mother-in-law as a scarecrow.

MangoFang · « **Reply #16 on:** May 23, 2014, 03:20:16 PM »

The other thing I've used to scare birds is this reflective shiny tape stuff that blows in the
breeze and scares the morning doves from roosting in one tree that I have....

Gary

TREESNMORE · « **Reply #17 on:** May 23, 2014, 03:36:25 PM »

Pellet gun they like lead better than birdseed. I don't shoot birds most of the time, but I am a farmer we trap and shoot all year long.

Tropicalgrower89 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 23, 2014, 04:01:21 PM »

^I've killed two iguanas and two rats with my gamo hornet pellet gun in my yard. What type of pellet gun do you have?

strkpr00 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 23, 2014, 04:01:57 PM »

is it better to leave the damaged goods for a later meal or clean up and hope they forgot?

TREESNMORE · « **Reply #20 on:** May 23, 2014, 04:27:07 PM »

I have a Beeman Sportsman RS2.
It is always better to clean up bad fruit.

socal10b · « **Reply #21 on:** May 23, 2014, 04:57:55 PM »

Carbo, nice looking mango tree you have there. I saw a lot of people here using bags to protect their mangoes.

How old and productive is cogshall? thanks

Carbo · « **Reply #22 on:** May 23, 2014, 05:41:02 PM »

Quote from: socal10b on May 23, 2014, 04:57:55 PM

Carbo, nice looking mango tree you have there. I saw a lot of people here using bags to protect their mangoes.

How old and productive is cogshall? thanks

I mentioned above the tree is inground for about 5 years now, transplanted from a 3 gallon pot. It didn't produce for the first two years, in part because I was tip pruning it to get a larger tree and more lateral growth. Year three produced about 9 or 10 mangoes. Last year, I got nothing because I pruned it late in the season and the branches didn't have enough time to harden off. Last week we counted 70 mangoes. . .now 69.

The mangoes I tasted in year 3 were outstanding, by the way!

cmichael258 · « **Reply #23 on:** May 23, 2014, 06:03:01 PM »

Squirrels and red headed woodpeckers were my nemesis last Summer.

puglvr1 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 24, 2014, 08:26:25 AM »

My Cogshall is a pretty good producer, some years better than others. Since I have a few freezes a year, timing is everything when it comes to bloom set/fruit set. This year I had some issues with powdery mildew and anthracnose so the tree didn't produce as many as last year... I too love Cogshall, delicious!

These pics were taken Last year...I love the cluster of mangoes they sometimes have.

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Author Topic: Damn! Something Just Took a Mango Off My Tree. (Read 7805 times)