Cage failure

[Barndog56]

I've got a bunch of 4 foot cages with 2x4 mesh in my orchard. It's no surprise to find a deer has nipped off the terminal bud on the central leader. I'd like to replace them but the 5' remesh is so expensive right now.

But then I go looking and the 5' remesh does not appear to be working at all!

They nipped the terminal buds on every single branch, including the two sticking out the top, which I thought would be safe with 5' cages.

I'll be pruning all of the side branches off anyway, and leaving a single leader, so they really aren't causing much damage. But still can be frustrating.

 

[Catscratch]

Have had the same thing happen. Went to 4x2 wire. I've watched fawns get a long ways into a cage.

 

[Gravel Road]

I put a layer of chicken wire around the remesh at the upper portion. Stops them from putting their head into the cage and nipping the upper branches. Cheap too.

 

[BuckSnort]

I put a layer of chicken wire around the remesh at the upper portion. Stops them from putting their head into the cage and nipping the upper branches. Cheap too.

I just did the same thing this weekend.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Yea the chicken wire will solve that problem. Does and fawns can reach through regular remesh if they choose to do so. We have had to use a collar of chicken wire attached to the remesh at deer head height to stop the issue at some locations.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Always used 2x4 wire 5' high. Very had a problem except when branches got near the cage.
I do eat apple-flavored venison, though.

 

[Tree Spud]

Cage diameter may be an issue also. I try to have my remesh at least 4'. I then try and prune laterals to 4' above ground.

 

[Diesel5610]

Cage diameter may be an issue also. I try to have my remesh at least 4'. I then try and prune laterals to 4' above ground.

I have learned that smaller diameter cages are susceptible to this, even 5 ft cages. You try to get a few more cages out of a role of wire and realize there are no shortcuts. Going a little bigger on the diameter usually solves the problem.

 

[Ed Brodt]

We use pallets to build our cages. They are free. Easy to take apart to apply weed cloth etc. As the sun moves across the sky the slats create periodic shade which helps protect against scald.

 

[Barndog56]

For anyone in the market, Tractor Supply has 100' rolls of the 5' tall, 2x4 fencing on sale now. They're $14 off at $126.

 

[bigboreblr]

Since you got a structure for your fence already, might be able to use deer netting. 7ftx100ft is about $20 bucks.

Rabbits would be a problem at my location with the fencing you use.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to "enhance" wire cages to keep bears off fruit trees?

None of my Bluehill tree are producing yet, but should in another season or two. Lots of bears in our neck of the woods in PA.

 

[Tree Spud]

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to "enhance" wire cages to keep bears off fruit trees?

None of my Bluehill tree are producing yet, but should in another season or two. Lots of bears in our neck of the woods in PA.

I have a friend who owns a cranberry farm and has bee hives for pollination. They have had to put up heavy duty chain link fence with posts in concrete. Even then the bears have pulled at the chain link and opened holes. Not big enough to get in yet, but he thinks they will.

His solution was to start a bear guiding service to control the population.

 

[Skeeter]

I have a friend who owns a cranberry farm and has bee hives for pollination. They have had to put up heavy duty chain link fence with posts in concrete. Even then the bears have pulled at the chain link and opened holes. Not big enough to get in yet, but he thinks they will.

His solution was to start a bear guiding service to control the population.

My dad ran a solar electric fence, with sheets of tin laid on the ground to ensure good grounding, around his bee enclosure. Never had a bear get in.

 

[Ruffdude]

We use 4' fence and lift it off the ground a foot or more and secure to t-posts.
We've found this lets us do weeding and general maintenance easier under the cage. We use a flex guard tree wrap around the trunks to stop girdling.

 

[RGrizzzz]

We use 4' fence and lift it off the ground a foot or more and secure to t-posts.
We've found this lets us do weeding and general maintenance easier under the cage. We use a flex guard tree wrap around the trunks to stop girdling.

Which wrap product are you using?

 

[Ruffdude]

Which wrap product are you using?

It’s called flexguard tree wrap from peach ridge orchard supply.

 

[tlzkaasen]

My dad ran a solar electric fence, with sheets of tin laid on the ground to ensure good grounding, around his bee enclosure. Never had a bear get in.

That's my plan as well in Northern WI. Solar electric from Tractor supply.

 

[hunts_with_stick]

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to "enhance" wire cages to keep bears off fruit trees?

None of my Bluehill tree are producing yet, but should in another season or two. Lots of bears in our neck of the woods in PA.

Hunt them! If you don’t want to, I will

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Hunt them! If you don’t want to, I will

The problem with bear, and bear hunters is, they always want to put out bait, which draws in many bear, the bear hunter then shoots the biggest bear, which usually aren’t the problem bears, it’s the teenagers. But the hunters now taught a bunch of bear that there is food here, and after the easy food is gone, they go after the apple trees, garbages, grills, etc..

And now after baiting, you no longer have a couple bear that wander through, you have many more that came in for the easy food. I have noticed now that late summer through fall, I rarely get bear damage anymore, because the bear are out in the bear and deer bait, sucking up the easy food. My tree damage now mostly happens early spring, before there is even apples, and early summer before hunters start baiting.

I came to the conclusion they will bust up or destroy 1-2 a year. Most times I will just cut off the broken branches and I will get lots of apples the next year. So the bear are doing the pruning. I have some ugly trees, but at least they produce.