Author Topic: What do you use to protect your lychee fruits?  (Read 719 times)

Alekhan

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What do you use to protect your lychee fruits?
« on: July 17, 2021, 12:31:18 PM »
I have nice lychee tree in my front yard that have plenty of fruits yearly. However, the squirrels and birds get to them before harvest. I wonder what tips/tricks that you guys use to protect the fruits?

Thanks,
Joe

simon_grow

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Re: What do you use to protect your lychee fruits?
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2021, 12:48:44 PM »
You can try this for larger 2 and 4 legged creatures

Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler with Day & Night Detection Modes,Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009F1R0GC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_5S9X4EHF7KSBXV0N237Q?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

For Squirrels and rats, you can make bucket traps or order one of these
https://youtu.be/BqlwUXP-ubI

Or if you’d rather poison them without harming Cats, Hawks, owls,
These might work although I have not tested them. I did do some googling and YouTube research and at least some of these are reported to work
https://youtu.be/R7PU7D_cFLc

Bird scare tape, Shiny CDs, Aluminum Foil and those giant air filled balloons shaped like people that inflate and deflate have been reported to work against birds. Netting also works for bird.

Simon

Alekhan

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Re: What do you use to protect your lychee fruits?
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2021, 02:37:41 PM »
Thanks, but those methods will hurt/kill the squirrels though. I'd been putting jujube thorny branches around the trunk but not much result. I heard about wrapping the trunk some kind of fabric, will look into that.
As for net, the tree is too big for that. Putting protective pouches around the fruit is not effective either. I'll look into bird scare tape and CDs. This year, it was the squirrels getting the most share though.

You can try this for larger 2 and 4 legged creatures

Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler with Day & Night Detection Modes,Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009F1R0GC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_5S9X4EHF7KSBXV0N237Q?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

For Squirrels and rats, you can make bucket traps or order one of these
https://youtu.be/BqlwUXP-ubI

Or if you’d rather poison them without harming Cats, Hawks, owls,
These might work although I have not tested them. I did do some googling and YouTube research and at least some of these are reported to work
https://youtu.be/R7PU7D_cFLc

Bird scare tape, Shiny CDs, Aluminum Foil and those giant air filled balloons shaped like people that inflate and deflate have been reported to work against birds. Netting also works for bird.

Simon

Mike T

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Re: What do you use to protect your lychee fruits?
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2021, 08:59:53 AM »
Rainbow lorikeets, suphur crested cockatoos and flying foxes here mean that netting entire trees is the only reliable protection.

bradflorida

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Re: What do you use to protect your lychee fruits?
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2021, 09:25:00 AM »
I use bird scare tape. 

Scarecrow in past but it didn’t seem to help as much as the scare tape.
Brad

Alekhan

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Re: What do you use to protect your lychee fruits?
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2021, 07:41:06 AM »
I use bird scare tape. 

Scarecrow in past but it didn’t seem to help as much as the scare tape.

Cool thanks. Will give that a try.
I also heard someone wrap the trunk with certain fabric to prevent squirrels. 

bsbullie

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Re: What do you use to protect your lychee fruits?
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2021, 09:36:32 AM »
The birds are usually more the issue than squirrels although both can be a problem (I have seen evidence of a mature tree stripped of its fruit in one day by birds.

I have a friend with a grove in Loxahatchee who uses ultrasonic repellers but it would not be good in a normal residential setting.
- Rob