I tried with corners cut out and they all rotted. I don't see how the whole bottom cut out is not going to allow the birds to get at the grapes.

Scott

It seems like the birds land on the vine and lean over to get the grapes. Lower grapes in the cluster have been more likely to get ripe without being eaten. I don't think our birds are smart enough to fly in from the bottom and the usual culprits, robins and grackles are probably too big to get in the bag and grab a hold.

I think last year my main problem was the squirrels judging how I had grapes and suddenly I had nothing. I can imagine them hanging from their back feet and using the front to lift the bag.

Raccoons have been the main culprit on my grapes. They go after them as soon as they begin to color and become the least bit sweet. Nothing has worked for me except for using the cotton hardware bags tied to the vine itself so they can't pound them loose. Myk- You may also have raccoons if they are disappearing at night. I am in Illinois too.

I have also had some success over the years with ziploks on my plums. Again as they just begin to ripen the squirrels (this time) tote them off and leave chewed thru ziploks all over the place.

Tom

I just bagged some grapes this morning. I went to the craft store and bought a bag of tulle bags. They have them at AC Moore and Michaels. If you go online, you can print out their weekly coupon and save 40-50% on an item. I also use the bags for my tomatoes so I can save pure seed.
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: My garden

I definitely have raccoons. A neighbor lady who used to run a greyhound rescue and should know better feeds them. I went 20 years without a raccoon problem and now all of a sudden they go after my corn because I'm between her and the creek.
But corn is all they have discovered so far. My espalier apples would be low enough they could easily get them and so far they've been safe. I've never seen them close to the house where the grapes are, that would be out of their way to get to the lady feeding them. I've only trapped babies in the corn, the fat ones go straight for the easy food.

The grape trellis is the squirrel highway leading from my butternut out front to the powerlines out back. They're always on it.

Do the grapes color up in the cotton?
I'm also thinking of running some netting over the top when they start getting color. Not that it will stop the squirrels but it may slow them down a bit.

My plums are closer to the back. I'm sure I'll be battling everything for them.
There's also opossums, which I have seen not only near the house but all the way in the front yard.

Wait until its the season and trap every last coon...they use to go for big money if the fur was good. Not sure what the market is now...

Last I looked the market isn't good here unless you tan them yourself. And they had better at least be cleaned if you expect to get anything. With coons that is a disgusting job.
Plus coons only come into my yard for the corn, and now that I took down the garden fence they may not even do that.

I use large green tulle drawstring bags to cover the grape cluster and then tie and tighten the draw strings around the main vine. Helps reduce disease, insects and herbivores, and you can see/smell the grapes so you know when they are ready to be picked. I use the green tulle drawstring bags on all the fruit (peaches, apples, blackberries, etc.) i want to protect, and i think part of the trick is the green color hides the ripening fruit from the animals vision. Yes, squirrels and coons can rip it apart, but i rarely lose fruit when using the green tulle bags.

We got into the '90ðs today. The bag with just the corners cut was filled with condensation. The bags with the bottoms cut all the way across were not.

The bags of either style shriveled if they were getting sun in this heat wave.
The shaded ones are still going.

Don't bag the grapes, bag the coons.