Ant Protection For Ripening Figs. 7.3.22

 When figs are ripening, ants usually find them and tunnel inside.  They can bring molds and spoil the fig before it's fully ripe.

I usually forget until the figs start to ripen, but not this year.  It's a simple treatment.  Wrap plastic wrap fairly tightly around the trunk, the spread on some Tanglefoot,  Tanglefoot is a very sticky, gooey substance, thicker and more persistent than vaseline.  Ants can't climb past it.

Now they are protected against ant damage.  It's a good idea to remove the Tanglefoot strip after the fig harvest.  I've forgotten at times, and fungi grew between the plastic and the bark, damaging the trunk.

Now the fig trees have "The four protections"-

(1)  Pruning height to deter deer.

(2)  Yellow Jacket traps to deter yellow jackets.

(3)  Scare tape to deter birds.

(4) Tanglefoot to deter ants.

Will there be figs this year? We should know in a few more weeks.