[svandamme]

pruning, i doubt you'de wanna do that in fall when the leaves drop.
you don't wanna cut em when they have to go through winter, that's one way to not have any fruit at all...

best right before spring, just before they get new leaves...

when you do cut em, you gotta treat the "wounds", there's stuff on the market for that, an oinkment so to speak... don't know any names or brands though...

don't prune em to small, trees need to grow, not sure how small you wanna keep em if you mean no ladder, also no extension tools to get to the fruit?? that's friggin tiny. like 15 apples/ tree??

doubt squirrels will be deterred by netting, they are cunning little bastards.