How to protect trees in winter from rodents (mice and hares): ways

Unfortunately, often arriving at the dacha in the spring, you may notice that the bark at the bottom of your newly planted seedling is gnawed ... Indeed, if winter is especially cold and hungry, then small (mice) and larger (hare) rodents may well come to your site, so to speak, in search of food.

So, if you want to guarantee to protect your young fruit trees from rodents (hares and mice), which so love to feast on young bark, you should definitely take certain measures.

Ways to protect fruit trees from rodents in winter

Whitewash

As you remember, trees are whitewashed to protect against sunburn (frost cracks), not for beauty. However, no amount of whitewashing will protect them from rodents.

More about why, when and how to whitewash the trees in the garden, told in this material.

By the way! It is believed that young seedlings with a very smooth bark it's better not to whiten, but wrap trunks with white covering material (for example, spunbond tapes)... So you not only prevent sunburn (frostbites), but also protect the seedling from rodents.

Non-woven protective materials

Generally, to protect a young tree from mice and hares, you need the lower part of the trunk (stem) from the ground itself to the skeletal branches wrap (bandage) with a special protective non-woven material, for example, spunbond or lutrasil, burlap (but by no means a film, otherwise your tree underneath it will shake out).

Important! If you wrap the barrel, then in this case you even no need to whitewash the treesince the white non-woven fabric will have a protective function to prevent sunburn (i.e. will act as a sun reflector).

Interesting! Some gardeners, who constantly have problems with rodents and frostbites, both whitewash and wrap.

Finished wrapping tape

Most often gardeners buyfinished tape for wrapping trunks fruit and ornamental trees and bushes for the winter.

Homemade protective structures

Of course, you can make a protective structure yourself from scrap materials.

We remind you! The main thing is that your artificial barrier should allow air to pass through, not absorb moisture and not rot.

Options for protective structures with tree trunks from rodents:

• a metal frame made of mesh (the most reliable way);

• from plastic bottles;

• from spruce branches (spruce or pine branches);

What to do if rodents damage your tree bark

If you neglect the recommendation for protecting your young trees from rodents, and as a result, mice or hares have seriously damaged the bark, so to speak, gnawed with a ring, then you can still do something.

To save the tree you will need plant it in the spring with a bridge, which is described in detail, for example, in this article.

Take care of the protection of your fruit trees in advance, protect them from the attack of rodents!