After 7 years my starkrimson sweet cherry finally has/had a bumper crop (just like in the pictures on their brochure!) but just before they turn dark red and are ready for harvest they have started to rot and show mold/fungus? Is this cherry rot and assume it is too late to do anything to save the harvest? I noticed a few rotted cherries yesterday and removed them, but today about 1/4 of the cherries look spoiled. It has been very wet the last 5 days.

I guess next year spray more fungicide especially during bloom? Perhaps this is why most don't try cherries in the Atlanta area as they are just too much work and too prone to disease?

PS- I untied the netting so i could get into the tree and at least grab a few good looking cherries to eat (they were good but not at peak flavor), but upon returning a few minutes later with camera there were already 1/2 dozen birds inside the tree eating cherries!