What's eating my fig 'black mission'?

Black Mission's very sweet, dark fruit makes it irresistible to birds, which are its worst pest. The partially open eye also allows the dried-fruit beetle to enter ripe fruit. Fig beetles (Cotinis mutabilis in the US) actively attack ripe Mission figs. Scale on stems causes gradual vigour loss if untreated.

Ripe Black Mission figs pecked and hollowed; sweet flesh highly attractive; damage concentrates on the most exposed clusters Net the tree with fine-mesh netting before fruit fully colours; scare devices (owl decoys, reflective tape) offer temporary relief only

Adults chew into ripe and overripe figs, exposing interior to secondary rot; large, metallic-green beetles are visible by day Hand-pick adults in the morning; harvest fruit promptly when ripe; clean up all fallen figs; traps baited with fermenting fruit can capture adults

Larvae inside ripening figs cause internal souring; entry through the partially open eye leaves little external sign Harvest without delay; dispose of any split or fallen fruit immediately; maintain clean soil under the tree

Encrusting colonies on young stems and branches weaken wood; honeydew promotes sooty mould on foliage below Apply dormant horticultural oil in late winter; prune and destroy heavily infested stems; ladybirds provide effective biological control