Fig trees attract wildlife that can eat your harvest or damage your Fig trees and other plants. It is important to deal with any wildlife issue as soon as you suspect it or confirm it. Any wasted day could result in losing your crops and incurring damage to your Fig trees.
Animal Pests
- Raccoons
- Squirrels
- Birds
- Opossums
- Deer
Preventing and deterring animals from your property is always the best solution. There are various ways and methods to deal with each specific animal. The first and easiest method is to restrict access to your property (fix holes in the fence, close any gaps, etc.) In case of Birds, netting could be used to cover the trees to restrict access to the fruits. There are a few varieties of netting which is light, doesn’t obstruct, comes in a few shades of green and it is barely visible and not an eyesore. Bird repellents could also be used.
In some areas, deer may feed on the leaves and twigs of the fig tree, causing damage. To control deer, you can use physical barriers such as fencing or use deer repellents.
Some of these animals may actually create double the damage to your Fig trees: they could eat your Figs as well as break of branches and leaves of your Fig trees while they climb to get the fruits.
Follow local bylaws and ordinances for animal removal and trapping.
Insects & Others
When dealing with insects, preventing and restricting access to your Fig crops is the first method you should think of before it actually happens.
Snails, Slugs, Ants: You can use sticky tape to wrap your Fig tree trunks to prevent ants, snails, or slugs from climbing up to reach your Figs. You can also apply slug bait or use physical barriers such as copper tape or copper mesh.
Wasps: As the Figs will ripen and get sweeter and sweeter, wasps will always find them and slowly start eating away at them. There are primarily 2 main ways in dealing with wasps:
- Wrap all your figs in mesh bags (“organza bags”) that will stay on the figs until being picked. This is very tedious and time consuming work if you have many fig trees with a lot of fruits.
- . Another way is to use wasp traps that you can purchase from garden centers or amazon. You fill them with sugar water or sweet pop and will trap the wasps as they enter the traps. You dispose of wasps and refill as required.
Aphids: These small insects feed on the sap of the fig tree and can weaken the tree and reduce fruit production. To control aphids, apply an insecticide according to the label instructions or use natural control methods such as introducing predatory insects.
Mites: These tiny spider-like insects can suck the sap from the leaves of the fig tree, causing the leaves to yellow and wilt. To control mites, apply an insecticide according to the label instructions or use natural control methods such as introducing predatory mites.
Scale insects: These small, hard-bodied insects feed on the sap of the fig tree and can weaken the tree and reduce fruit production. To control scale insects, apply an insecticide according to the label instructions or use natural control methods such as introducing predatory insects.
Figs borers: These insects lay their eggs on the fig tree, and the larvae burrow into the tree and feed on the inner bark. This can weaken the tree and reduce fruit production. To control fig borers, apply an insecticide according to the label instructions or remove and destroy infested branches.
Figs whiteflies: These small, white insects feed on the sap of the fig tree and can weaken the tree and reduce fruit production. To control fig whiteflies, apply an insecticide according to the label instructions or use natural control methods such as introducing predatory insects.
Figs thrips: These small, slender insects feed on the sap of the fig tree and can cause scarring on the fruit. To control fig thrips, apply an insecticide according to the label instructions or use natural control methods such as introducing predatory insects.
Figs fruit flies: These small, fly-like insects lay their eggs in the developing fruit of the fig tree, and the larvae feed on the fruit, causing it to become unappealing to eat. To control fig fruit flies, apply an insecticide according to the label instructions or use traps to catch the adult flies.
By keeping an eye out for these pests and taking appropriate action, you can help to keep your fig tree healthy