That's a pretty good idea. I always knew Cheeseheads had to be good for something ;)

I haven't tried this yet but how about linemen cutters (or even scissors would work if you're careful not to go too far), cut the zipper with 2 cuts a stem's width apart and leave the pieces flapping. That should make it impossible for anything to enter the stem end because the flaps would close against the stem.

Now I just need to figure something for my stemless McIntosh.
Some of the dozen I managed to bag without knocking off have pushed a pretty good sized opening in the zipper and the apples have grown against the bag and branch so hard that it's tough to remove the bags.

I cut the strip of plastic above the seal thingy with scissors. I think a utility knife would work too.

I just wished the plastic would work as good on peaches.

I like the idea of using a paper punch for the stem hole. I may have to try that next year on some. Thanks for the tip! -Glenn

I just tried cutting a stem slot on some of my bags. It works very good and much better on the short stemmed apples. I couldn't get to the very short stemmed ones but I can tell it would do better if applied when they were small enough to get at.

I used my lineman cutter method because I don't have a hold puncher. It works somewhat like I envisioned. It did let me get away with cutting a smaller slot than a hole punch would do.

If my trees survive this wet year I may have to bag even more next year.

For short stem fruits footies can be pulled over the fruit and tied around the branch.

I checked my bagged apples today and I have to admit using the scissors to make the stem slot seems to be working much better then the paper puncher. The bags that were done with the scissors are tighter around the stem.

Bagger1:

Maybe the paper punch wasn't such a hot idea, but the concept of making a cut in the center of the zipper is a very good one, and I thank you for it. You are quite right that snugging the zipper on both sides of the apple stem is better than going over it with the open zipper which can admit earwigs. I don't think any insect, earwigs included, can enter the cut lower corners of the bags. Making a cut may add a few seconds to bag preparation, but it is time well spent.

Bag technology may now have reached its outer limits. I can't think of anything else we could do to these bags.

The very worst short-stemmed apple of all has to be the Macaoun, which has practically no stem at all. I thought about putting on footies over the branches, but it's too late now. I have lot of bags installed this year, and the apples in there are looking pretty good, with less than 3% losses from rots so far. Of course, I can get those rotten spots even without the bags.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Bagger1-
Thank you for the idea. I didn't have a paper punch, but when I when I found a few unbagged apples, I made some new bags with V-cuts in them. They do indeed seem to fit a good bit tighter. I'll use this next year. Thanks!
-Glenn