I don;t have a problem with those bushy tailed looking rodents, but my mum does, they pinch her pears.
Pigeons are the order of the day for us, if only I could bring myself to eat them then we could cut the numbers but alas I just can't. Watching pigeons has put me off ever eating them, they are always at it and they toilet a lot, yuk! I hate poop and are lawn is covered in it. What good are pigeons? They are a pest.
I like the sound of the netting, we could try and net the bottom of the tree away from them. Do birds ever get caught in the netting? I would hate having to pull a bird out of netting.
The tiny plums don't get much of a chance to grow, they peck them as soon as they show signs of growing.