We have a semi-dwarf Honeycrisp apple tree. It's going on seven or eight years old now, and produces like crazy. That's the first problem- it produces so well that it breaks branches from the weight of the apples. Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, what's the solution?

The other issue is that we've never been able to enjoy the apples because either birds get them, hail gets them, or like last year, the Japanese beetle infestation stripped the tree.

I finally got some milky spore, but I'm afraid it's too late to apply it to the ground, and will have to wait until fall. Does anyone know if diatomaceous earth will kill those things?

I have a lot of tulle fabric; I may try that to cover the tree and protect it from the birds. Does anyone else have ideas as to protecting apples from nature's ilk?