Will One Of These Fruit Cages Stop The Squirrels As Well As The Birds ...

[ladybirder]

from eating all my cherries? I was advised by Ratty2E on my earlier thread to net my cherry tree but since then my neighbour has told me a squirrel has been eating them as well.

http://www.robinsonpolytunnels.co.uk/acatalog/2m_x_2m_Fruit_Cage_-_Complete_Kit_with_Door.html

In particular, will the netting both on the roof and the sides, be strong enough to keep them out? Here's what the link says about it:

The netting that we use for the top of the fruit cages is a knitted HDPE tape with a mesh size of 17mm to stop the smallest of birds. This is obviously UV stabilised and rot-proof. This netting was specifically chosen for its high strength-to-weight ratio. When tested, we found that this netting held together much better than heavier and more expensive options.

The fruit cage side netting is an extruded polypropylene with a mesh size of 17mm square. This netting also has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is UV stasbilised. The side netting is supplied in a 2m wide roll and is virtually self-supporting which we find makes it very easy to fit to the fruit cage framework.

Thank you to anybody who can be bothered to read all this and reply. X

[woofgang]

i doubt it, if a squirrel wants in he will chew through mesh. you might need moving scarers

[ladybirder]

I suppose that's good news woofy - scarers should be a lot cheaper than a cage I think. Are you talking about home-made, like hanging discs from the branches, or can you buy a better device? And would it scare squirrels I wonder, as well as birds. Hmmm, have to have a google.

[ladybirder]

Had a google and the scarers I can find, because my garden is small, will scare the birds away from the feeders and I don't want to do that. I think I need to look at different fruit cages with stronger mesh which of course will be expensive. Sigh.

[woofgang]

cheaper to buy cherries?

[lady-janine]

we use small gauge wire netting to keep the rabbits and badgers out. would this help with squirrels?

[ladybirder]

Woof I had been thinking that. I would have to live to about 150 to get my money back. I don't mind the birds taking some but not all. The cages don't exactly look elegant either and I've spent a lot of money on hard landscaping to make the garden look nice. If it was just birds I would net them for a few months.
Might do Lady-J I will look into your suggestion; it depends how strong the wire is. Must be OK if it keeps badgers out. The squirrels kept pulling the top off of my seed feeder and I got some really tough thick wire and threaded it backwards and forwards across the lid and it worked. I love it, it's driving them potty, they've been trying it get it off for months:-)

[lady-janine]

we had to build another fruit cage this year as the storms last winter blew down our industrial strength one.

[woofgang]

well you'd have to live around 40 years to get the money back but this is nice, scroll down the page
http://www.thegardeningwebsite.co.uk/room-in-the-garden-elegant-designs-in-rusted-iron-i5056.html

[Ratty2E]

Unfortunately now there's a squirrel in the picture none of the normal netting is going to be any use. You will need wire although a determined squirrel might still bite through the finer chicken wire type mesh. They are very clever and determined creatures so scaring them away might not work in the long term. You might try hanging a squirrel feeder nearby to try to distract from the cherries or just give up, save the money you would have spent on the cage and resign yourself to buying cherries from the shops.

[ladybirder]

You're right Ratty and Woof. There are some very nice fruit cages in your link but not financially viable really. I might just try with netting next year to see if it helps as that won't be expensive and if it doesn't I shall give up. Hopefully netting won't blow away like your fruit cage LJ:-)
If I have another 40 years left Woofy I'll be a miracle.