Figs nabbed
Just a little reminder to keep an eye on your neighbor’s house. This is not the first time I’ve reported about this type of crime and while it isn’t as serious assault it is still a bummer to hear about.
I’m hoping that you can help me. I’ve been a resident of Westover Hills for 17 years.
Between yesterday (Sunday) afternoon and this morning, someone stripped 4 fig trees of all of my almost/just ripe figs. I was not there at the time and am frustrated that someone would enter my yard off the alley and help themselves to not a few figs – but completely stripped the trees of all of the figs! We aren’t talking a few figs or only the ripe ones. Someone stripped every fig whether ripe or not off the trees - well over a hundred figs! This is definately not squirrels this is a two legged thief.
Can you remind people, that even if someone is on vacation. It is trespassing and stealing to help oneself to others vegetable gardens or fig trees!
I am upset and disheartened that a neighbor would do such a thing.
One thought, I had a ton of grapes on my vine and peaches on a tree and they both got stripped on one day. However it was squirrels not people.
I don’t know if that is your same issue but I sure would rather think that squirrels were that rude than people!
I would hope that people were not as rude as squirrels but when was the last time a squirrel broke in your house and robbed you?
While I can see a squirrel getting some of the ripe fruit, I can’t see them picking the tree clean of just the ripe fruit…
Oh gosh I totally missed that you had ruled out squirrles! I am so sorry that is totally amazing! Horrible. I am so sorry that happened to you!
It could also be deer. They got my enormous bumper crop of tomatoes last year. Every. Last. One. This year it appears that squirrels are the culprit, leaving the ‘maters half eaten. Something also got ALL my ground cherries. Jerks.
I’ve had squirrels and maybe a raccoon strip my figs bare, too, even like this, hundreds of figs, so don’t rule out critters so quickly. I think they make a party out of it.
Well, if a raccoon did eat hundreds of your figs, I think you would get your revenge, as I think he would be super “regular” for awhile. Do you think a flock of birds could have done it?
Extra! Extra! Figs Nabbed! Suspect last seen fleeing on foot across a telephone line! Suspect is described as having a fluffy tail and little regard for the law. Please notify authorities if you have information about the adorable wittle suspect or if you see suspicious Hamburglar-types, a gnome flying a tiny helicopter or Tom Sawyer in your neighborhood.
For squirrels stealing tomatoes, I have heard that a bowl of water in the garden will help. The theory is that they are after the hydration, and tomatoes are a good source.
It was Newton.
Stuffa – you beat me to it!
:o)
I will bet money on squirrels. I had to have my husband build a cage around our tomato plants so we could enjoy them when ripe. Critters never touch the green fruit, only ripe and ready to eat. We never get a single peach off our trees because the squirrels strip them clean. I’ve never seen such hungry critters in my life! Growing uo on a production farm with an orchard I do not remember every having to protect crops from critters like this!
In all seriousness, we’ll likely have a bumper crop of figs this year, barring the traditional bird/squirrell raids (the feral cats are earning their keep so far). If the OP wants to come grab some when they’re ripe I’m happy to share. We only have 1 tree, but it has every bit of 100 figs on it. Post your email (or get it sent to me) and I’ll be in touch.
J, you are a good neighbor!
The people actually willing to take that many figs would probably not even know what a fig is or what to do with them. My money is on those squirrels!!! There are SOO many squirrels in Church Hill. I try to get my dog to eat them but he isn’t quick enough. Cars don’t go fast enough to run over them in Church Hill… So I suppose we are just stuck with the little furries as our stealing neighbors.
I don’t know why everybody assumes a couple of squirrels are the guilty parties. Sounds like the work of a human varmint to me.
With the extremely high heat and the lack of rain as of late, I would think that wildlife is going after any source of moisture that is available.
I am so relived…At first I did not realize the headline said “Figs…”
There’s no mention of the exact location, but if it’s close-ish to the river (within a block or three of Riverside Dr.) it’s prime deer habitat…..they could strip 4 fig trees in less than 2 hours….no problem. I find it much less plausible that the homeless or theives would be inclined to steal figs. imho. regardless it sucks…i’ve been fightin wildlife in my garden since i moved here
Figs dont get ripe after they’ve been picked. Any person who would want to eat them would know that and leave any that weren’t ready. I have seen deer tracks down by the river.
Also, why has no one mentioned racoons?
I caught squirrels making off with my best green tomatoes. Never had that happen until this year, I think the wildlife is dehydrated!
We got whistle pigs over here in Oregon Hill. They are hungry and destructive little rascals…
Has got to be squirrels. They strip both our fig tree and our plum tree every year and they will do it in no time.
I think two-legged thieves are more plentiful than people think, unfortunately.
I have a beautiful fig tree in front of the house and on the days I’m home enough to observe, I discovered passerbys and neighbors alike boldly stripped my tree of figs every chance they got. At first, I couldn’t believe that people would be so greedy and bold-faced about it, but lo and behold, one Saturday when I happened to be home, I saw people passing by who carried BAGS to fill up with my figs. I mean, these people are obviously repeat thieves, acting in pre-meditated fashion. Darn prepared, they were. And when I went outside, they didn’t even give a toot! One Middle Eastern mom who came prepared with a HUGE SACK, no joke, had three young children with her who were all busy picking when I went outside. They all just glanced at me and just finished what they were doing, not even a comment or an apology or anything. Wow… the nerve of some people. On that day alone, I observed people passing by and picking every hour or two. I kind of couldn’t believe it.
And you know, I really don’t mind if people and neighbors pick some to snack on (when the figs are plentiful, I give away boxes and boxes to neighbors and friends anyway), but if you’re bringing sacks to haul away figs on someone else’s property and you don’t seem to think you’re doing anything wrong… well, I don’t even know how to respond to that!