I always wondered why everyone on the forum had problems with squirrels in their apple trees. For forty years of having apples, I've never hade the problem. There have always been squirrels around especially in the bird feeders. The feeders were taken down last year because the squirrels were getting into the partition of the house. My apple tree was loaded this year grafted with two types. Two days ago, a red squirrel goes hopping by with an apple and yesterday a gray was caught going up a pine tree with an apple. They've taken every one of probably 50 of the yellow variety and are probably waiting for the northern spy to get a little riper. I've ordered 2 havahart traps and 2 snap-e rat traps. Hope I get them before I lose the rest of the apples. Hope the traps work!