What's eating my common fig?

Common fig faces threats from scale insects and nematodes underground, plus birds stealing ripe fruit above. Fig beetles and the dried-fruit beetle enter through the open eye and spoil the interior. Birds are widely regarded as the most damaging pest in home gardens, capable of stripping a ripe crop overnight.

Pecked, hollowed-out or completely removed ripe figs; birds locate and strip fruit quickly once it softens Drape fine-mesh netting (less than 25 mm) over the tree as fruit begins to colour; reflective tape or bird-scaring balloons offer partial deterrence

Flat brown or waxy bumps on branches and twigs; sap loss causes dieback of young wood; sticky honeydew and sooty mould follow Prune and dispose of infested stems; apply horticultural oil in late winter before bud break; introduce ladybirds for ongoing control

Adults enter through the open ostiole (eye) of the fig and lay eggs inside; larvae feed on ripening fruit, causing internal rotting and souring Pick ripe figs promptly; remove all fallen or damaged fruit; varieties with a tightly closed eye are naturally resistant; maintain good garden hygiene

Galls on roots reduce water and nutrient uptake; affected trees look drought-stressed, produce poorly, and decline over several seasons Improve soil health with organic matter; apply beneficial nematodes (Steinernema or Heterorhabditis spp.); avoid replanting figs in known nematode-infested soil