Evading fig beetles, or fun with jars

I decided to try this recipe for fig preserves today. Our poor neglected fig tree is covered with fruit in various stages of decomposition, some ripe figs, and many many baby figs. These figs do not taste anything like the fresh figs I remember from a childhood neighbor's tree--but those were dark figs, these are white figs. What kind? No idea--the tree came from a neighbor several years ago, and he didn't know what it was.

Anyway, I went out to pick, and proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes evading some angry (if harmless, unless you're a fig) fig beetles. These guys are big, and loud. And we have many because we don't spray, and I am not brave enough to squash them. And they are really really pretty metallic green, which makes me not want to squash them anyway.

The enemy--enjoying a very overripe fig.

I came up with 2.3 pounds, and this recipe is incredibly easy to adjust, since it uses a 1:1 fig:sugar ratio.

So, we'll see. I got two pints and a bit left over--the leftover bit is so sugary it has solidified, I am hoping that's because I scraped the pot. I followed the recipe exactly, but think maybe should have cooked for less time with the lesser amount of fruit. I will have another 2+ pounds in a week or so, I think. Unless the mockingbirds, beetles, starlings, and wasps get them all. I should say, the cats greatly enjoy this show, they have a fabulous view from the back window.

From this...

...to this.