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After a night of 4" rains followed by another night of 2" rains I went out to inspect the troops. 2.5 dozen figs were ruined by mold or being blown off while still hard. It was evening and the sun set during my inspection. I donned my green headlamp and continued. I saw a new enemy that I haven't heard anyone talk about yet: moths.
I don't know if they just took advantage of cracks caused by swelling or if they can attack any fig at will. There were at least half a dozen different kinds. They appeared to be drinking juice from the fig. One was going up and down like an oil drilling rig in the plains. I suspect he was using his proboscis to stir up some fig pulp to make it easier to drink. All the figs visited by moths had turned to vinegar, probably via bacteria carried by the moth. Organza bags were no barrier to them as their built in straws are much thinner than the holes in the mesh. The only way to defeat them would be to have a gap between the nylon and the fig. Something like a cage around the fig grove made out of no-seeum netting.
Sigh.
I don't know if they just took advantage of cracks caused by swelling or if they can attack any fig at will. There were at least half a dozen different kinds. They appeared to be drinking juice from the fig. One was going up and down like an oil drilling rig in the plains. I suspect he was using his proboscis to stir up some fig pulp to make it easier to drink. All the figs visited by moths had turned to vinegar, probably via bacteria carried by the moth. Organza bags were no barrier to them as their built in straws are much thinner than the holes in the mesh. The only way to defeat them would be to have a gap between the nylon and the fig. Something like a cage around the fig grove made out of no-seeum netting.
Sigh.
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