We have about a dozen fruit trees most about 3-5 years old. Rest of area is hardwood trees along with a spring fed creek which flows year around.
We don't live there yet, but as it is close by I am over there more than once a week.
Now the they bearing fruit we would love to be able to eat it. What we ran into last year and this is that the pears, apples and apricots all disappear.
Earlier this year the trees with the earlier apples and pears were completely bare of all fruit, none on the ground, none in sight, not even a crumb. The pears were close to ripe, but the apples were not.
Yesterday I was sad to see all the other apple, pear and apricot trees where completely bare of fruit. Last year too.
We also have blueberries and blackberries (lots of wild ones in the area too). The birds will eat some of the blueberries, but we still get a good share.
There are deer, rabbit, squirrel in the area, an occasional fox along with a variety of birds.
When the trees where little we made little cages out of fence wire to protect their trunks. Later we took them off. We never had problems with deer eating the bark, branches, even though I have see tracks in that area.
We could fence out the deer if they are the culprits, but several friends say it is probably squirrels as some of the fruit is higher than what the deer should be able to reach. What is strange is there is not one piece of fruit left behind anywhere. If squirrels are the problem we will need another solution.
Game camera? Other suggestions? If squirrels how do we keep them out out?
Thanks