[juvenal]

Yesterday I had 60 mostly ripe Falstaff apples on a dwarf tree on my plot. The best crop ever. Some of the fruit individually almost a pound in weight.

This morning 6 of the darkest red apples had been severely damaged by squirrels. A quarter eaten.

The only solution.

This afternoon I picked 90% of the ripest ones and took them home.

[8doubles]

Are you sure it was squirrels , 6 x a quarter apple seems a lot for one night.

Bambi maybe ?

[Fairy Plotmother]

Yesterday I saw parakeets tucking into apples on the tree!

[Lardman]

My money would be on the birds too - especially if its the most ripe and most red apples. 

[Arfur Plot]

Squirrels eat my apples and annoyingly take a bite from one and then move on to the next.

[juvenal]

Squirrels definitely. Teeth marks were unmistakable. Probably more than one of the little devils.

[moose]

I've lost a lot apples and pears to squirrels previously but sine I started using balloons things have improved.
Blow up a few and stick some broken up nuts on them (I use a blob of honey)  and tie them in among the fruit, squirrel climbs on and Bang - squirrel runs. I have also used water filled ones which are also effective.

No squirrels were actually physically harmed during this experiment.

[Kevin_000]

Brilliant!

I lost nearly all of my apples and pears to squirrels last year. Four young trees in all. About 10 - 15kg fruit.

They know exactly when to go for them and they take the fruit away. I know its not people the garden is people proof and the weeds around the trees are not trampled.

I shall try this, this year!

Thank you