Pesky Problems

• If your fruit trees are frequently visited by deer or squirrels (or perhaps rabbits, gophers or other animals), you have a problem. These pesky critters can tear up your leaves, eat all your fruit, and pull out your roots until your fruit trees don't have anything left. You could spray your yard with harsh pesticides or set tricky traps to kill the little critters, but these solutions have problems of their own. Pesticides are harmful for pets and children, and traps are dangerous for them as well. Instead of these options, consider a trip to your local store to pick up some pantyhose and mothballs.
  
  

Protect the Ground

• Sprinkle mothballs on the ground around the base of your fruit trees. Their strong odor will deter animals, and their pesky visits will stop. You can even sprinkle them around the edge of your yard to keep the animals out of the area. You may want to try to bury a few as well, to keep out underground dwellers that might attack the roots of your trees.
  
  

Protect the Fruit

• For animals that might climb your trees or land on the branches, you can use pantyhose. Fill pantyhose in the toe area with mothballs (regular or knee-high size will work). Then use the rest of the hose to tie the mothball sack to the tree branches in various places. A few of these homemade pest-repellent devices placed around your trees will keep animals out of the branches once they smell the offensive mothball odors.