In winter, the usual food sources for rodents die or disappear. That’s why you’ll see many more trees damaged by rodents in winter than during the growing season. Rodents that eat tree bark include everything from rabbits to voles . With a little effort, you can install rodent protection for trees and take steps to help trees damaged by rodents. Read on to find out how.
Damage to trees from rodents
Winter is a difficult time for rodents, as they kill many plants they usually eat or cover them with a thick layer of snow. That is why rodents turn to trees in search of food.
Rodents that eat tree bark, such as rabbits and mice and voles, work hard to access the softer, more flavorful inner bark of the tree called the cambium layer. Hungry creatures chew through the outer bark of the tree to reach this green cambium.
Damage to trees from rodents can be moderate, but it can also be very serious. If rodents remove the bark around the tree, this girds the tree , effectively killing it. The roots can also be damaged by gnawing.
Rodents that eat tree bark
Rabbits, voles, and mice are some of the most common rodents that eat tree bark. Other animals, such as beavers , also damage trees.
You may be surprised to see tree damage from rodents much higher on the trunk than a rabbit or mouse could reach. But don’t forget that the snow acts as a ladder, allowing small rodents to access the highest parts of the trunk.
The best thing you can do for rodent-damaged trees is to prune away dead areas and be patient. A tree that has not been girdled has a chance of recovering by fighting.
Protection of trees from rodents
The most effective rodent protection for trees is to install a barrier. For shrubs, this method of protecting trees from rodents may involve a wire mesh container placed over the plant. Trees are often too large for this type of “cage” protection. Instead, experts recommend that you use one-eighth to one-quarter-inch mesh chicken wire as a way to protect trees from rodents.
When protecting trees from rodents with chicken wire, you should fold the fabric to form a cylinder around the trunk of the tree, wrapping the tree about 30 inches (76 cm) above the ground and several inches into the ground. Protect the tree from mice field, rabbits and other rodents.
For young trees, you can purchase and use the white plastic protection tubes made to go around the trunks of young trees. Again, you will need to extend this tree rodent protection below the soil surface so that rodents can ‘dig their way into it.