Lemmysports

New to the forum and you have been very helpful soo far! I've got my first ever fruit growing from a Dwarf Cavendish in central Florida. I'm concerned the rats and squirrels will get to them, and I'm thinking of trying to build a wire mesh cage of sorts around the whole bunch. I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck with this? The fruits are only about a month old, when should I start worrying about rodent thieves?

-Lemmy

jbyrd88888

they make net-bags for bananas, idk where to find them at.

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Lemmysports

I've considered the bags, but I feel like the rats down here will chew through them unless they are made of kevlar or something. Thank you though.

jbyrd88888

I'm am an inventor and builder an i think a whole lot! Just thinkin' whatever you construct this frame for the wire mesh needs to be "light" weight. . . MAYBE you could find a Plastic trash can big enough (circular of-course) to 'cut' square panels out of the sides (panels wide enough to fix/strap/glue/screw w/e size wire mesh you have to the sides> Your panels would be roughly an inch or two smaller so your mesh will over-lap the trash can frame.
You would need to cut a lot out of this trash can to make it into a frame deal/setup if-you-know-what I mean.
Use a light can
To fix/strap this to the tree stretch a shirt or fabric over the stem with clothes hangers/paper clips. The flower would need to be cut off but not to close to the fruit because it will rot some.

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Snookie

I am not an inventor or thinker, unless laziness or taking short cuts is an invention... lol

So here's my suggestion;

Hey why not just get a cat or two.....

That will scare the bejebus out of the rats and squirrels or make good snacks for the cats:}

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Nicolas Naranja

I grow bananas commercially in South Florida. The bags do seem to dissuade rodents from attacking the fruit. Generally speaking, the rodents will not attack green fruit. I had trouble with rats and mice, (and this spring doves) building nests in the bunches. You can also try spraying the fruit with hot pepper as rodents don't like hot pepper. You will probably not have any trouble though until the fruit begins to ripen.

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Lemmysports

Thanks for all the help/ideas. jbyrd, I like how you think. Cut down on the actual buidling, it's always easier to use something that already exists. Snookie, I have two cats but the girl won't let them outside of the house haha. I've also read that many of the rats aren't really affected by cats as they quickly learn the safe routes and stay off the ground. Then again, maybe I'm over-thinking this if the mesh bags really do work. Maybe I'm just paranoid! haha.

PR-Giants

If you really want to go though the effort, just use window screening.

I don't think you'll need it, a DC has a fairly tight bunch plus it's low to the ground.

If something builds a nest, you can easily remove it and maybe you'll have to do that twice.

Rats are dumb but they're smart enough not to want to build a new nest every night, they'll get the hint fast.

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PR-Giants

As far as the bags go, I've always thought a rat would choose to live in a home with a waterproof roof opposed to getting wet when it rained.

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Lemmysports

I'm thinking of just putting a couple of onion bags (the woven plastic variety) over the bunch and maybe spraying a bit of hot pepper. I work in produce and can get plenty of the bags for free. Still, I admit I maybe am being a bit more concerned than I need to be, but it's my first ever banana fruit and I must protect them!!!

sunfish

Do squirrels eat bananas

Lemmysports

I'm not sure, but something seems to eat just about anything in my backyard. Case in point: there are always bite marks on the bar of soap in my outdoor shower! I would put some rat poison out there if I wasn't soo concerned about hurting other animals...

sunfish

Probably raccoon you know how they like to wash

PR-Giants

If you see a raccoon with a foaming mouth, he doesn't necessarily have to have rabies.

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Nicolas Naranja

You would think that to be the case, but it isn't. Animals work on olfactory and visual cues, so maybe the bags are like camouflage.

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Dangermouse01

Nah, they just take a couple bites from one and then take a couple bites from a different one and then take a couple bites from a different one...........

The only bananas that I have had a squirrel mess with are on my Raja Puri (and only from one bunch so far). It is close to a 6' wood fence (squirrel highway) and the fruit hangs about fence level (easy to jump to), is also close to one of the dragon fruit trellises also about same height as the hanging fruit (I actually saw him jump from the trellis to the bunch). That squirrel came down with a case of lead poisoning before he could tell all the buddies about the food source.

Never seen one bothering any of my other bunches. Even tho I have seen them jump from the citrus tree to the banana to get to a pine tree and I had fruit hanging on those bananas. Cant say I have ever seen a squirrel climb a banana plant from the ground up either.

For the rat poison route you can always get one of those plastic enclosures to keep the un-targeted wildlife safe.

DM