FROM BIRDS AND BATS OF FRUITS PROTECTION TKH 0DXULWLXs )UXLW %DWs DUH XQLTXH LQ WKH ZRUOG DQG H[LsW RQO\ LQ 0DXULWLXs 7KH\ DOsR SOD\ DQ HssHQWLDO UROH LQ SUHsHUYLQJ IRUHsW FRYHU DQG LQ SDUWLFXODU WKH WLQ\ DPRXQW RI XQLTXH HQGHPLF IRUHsWs WKDW UHPDLQs OHss WKDQ %DWs DUH H[WUHPHO\ SURQH WR sWURQJ FOLPDWLF HYHQWs ZKLFK FDQ LQFUHDsH WKH ULsN RI H[WLQFWLRQ 7KLs Ls ZK\ WKH 0DXULWLDQ :LOGOLIH )RXQGDWLRQ ZLsKHs WR SURWHFW ERWK EDWs DQG WKH LQWHUHsWs RI DOO ORFDO IUXLW JURZHUs 7KH EHsW ZD\ WR GR WKLs Ls WR QHW RXU IUXLW WUHHs 7KH JXLGHOLQHs EHORZ DUH XsHIXO IRU RUFKDUGs EXW FDQ EH DSSOLHG WR EDFN\DUG WUHHs DOsR The government has provided subsidies to backyard farmers and orchard owners to alleviate the cost of netting trees. Please contact the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) on 433 4378/433 9350 for more details. It is important to net your trees at a suitable period, that is, when the fruits are at an immature green stage (before the litchis reach around 2 cm and mangoes reach around 5 cm diameter). ChoRse the width of your net according to the size of your tree (See ‘How to net a tree’). Note: your options of width of netting may be limited by the availability of these netting sizes on the market in Mauritius. 7KHUH Ls sRPH LQGLFDWLRQ WKDW EODFN EHLQJ OHss UHIOHFWLYH ZRUNs EHWWHU WKDQ ZKLWH QHWs A human finger should not be able to pass through the mesh size. Lifting your net a minimum of 50 cm above the canopy will prevent bats and birds from eating the fruits through the net. Sealing your net is crucial to prevent animals from entering under the net and getting trapped in it and thus eating more fruits. Subsidy Timing Net width Mesh size Net Lifting Net Sealing Other useful actions 6SUD\LQJ \RXU WUHHV DJDLQVW IXQJDO GLVHDVHV GDUN EURZQ VSRWV RQ IUXLW VNLQ KHOSV SUHYHQW D ORW RI GDPDJH WR \RXU IUXLWV VLQFH WKLV GLVHDVH DOVR EUHDNV RSHQ WKH VNLQ. 3UXQLQJ NHHSLQJ \RXU WUHHs EHORZ P PDNHs LW HDsLHU WR SODFH D QHW WR SLFN IUXLWs IURP \RXU WUHH DQG EDWs DUH OHss OLNHO\ WR ODQG RQ ORZ WUHHs LI \RX GHFLGH QRW WR QHW \RXU WUHH 6RPH RUFKDUGs SODQW D KLJK GHQsLW\ RI WUHHs NHSW ORZHU WKDQ P LQ KHLJKW 6WRUDJH $IWHU WKH IUXLWLQJ sHDsRQ UHPRYH QHWs FDUHIXOO\ ULQsH LQ ZDWHU GU\ ZHOO IROG DQG sWRUH LQ D GU\ SODFH <RX PD\ UHXsH WKH sDPH QHW IRU RU PRUH \HDUs Other:- Should you need more informa- tion about the steps to net a tree or where to obtain your nets, view the 0:) ZHEsLWH ZZZPDXULWLDQZLOGOLIHRUJ Design by PAUL M SYLVIE and Mauritian Wildlife Foundation V.2020 Net colour