How to Keep Squirrels, Rabbits, Deer, and Other Hungry Animals from Eating Your Trees
Trees offer a lot of benefits and delight. Most people believe this. Sadly, a lot of the creatures who visit backyards agree.
Some of these visitors may be chewing on—and harming—the homeowners’ trees, even though they may like watching the squirrels play in the treetops or observing a deer walk into their remote yard. You need a strategy to safeguard your trees before they suffer irreparable harm if you have seen animals eating your trees’ leaves or have caught them in the act.
Read this article about many pests that are prevalent in Joliet, including rodents, if you’re unsure how to recognize mouse damage.
In this post, we’ll look at four strategies for keeping rodents, deer, and other animals away from your trees without really damaging them.
Four Methods for Keeping Your Trees Safe from Rodents and Deer
What works best when dealing with animals that are hungry and mistake your trees for food depends not only on the animal but also on your comfort level and financial situation. Of course, you can try a different strategy if the first one doesn’t work.
Here are four easy methods to keep rodents and other animals away from your trees:
1. Obstacles
Wild creatures don’t respect boundaries until you set them for them. Depending on the size of your property and the materials you employ, perimeter fences can be expensive. Moreover, they won’t deter squirrels, must be four to five feet tall to deter deer and must begin a foot below ground to deter burrowing rodents.
If you decide to go this route, installing wire fencing and a concealing hedge in front of it will save you money. To keep the rodents out, the first several feet and another foot below the surface will need to be covered with a finer mesh. Choose a hedge plant that deer won’t enjoy, or else they’ll destroy that as well!
You can fence in your trees instead of your land if a perimeter fence is not practical. Wire mesh, vented PVC tubing, or adjustable, wraparound tree guards may be wrapped around the trunk of a sapling to provide protection that will last for several seasons because smaller trees are more delicate and therefore more susceptible. Ensure that your PVC or tree guard is sufficiently loose and has a lot of airflow holes. When the tree develops, increase the size of the tree guard or swap it out for a bigger one.
Make sure your mesh is fine enough and that your “tree fence” begins at the bottom of the trunk if little animals are the one’s dining. Make sure it rises six feet above the ground for deer.
2. Surprising Things
There are techniques to scare these animals away with flashy things, especially when they move in the wind and make noise, like the scarecrow in the cornfield and the phony owl on the roof. Before you attach anything to your trees, consult your arborist.
You can deter the feasters by hanging windchimes from your house’s eaves, placing them close to the tree, and installing motion-activated lights close to the tree trunks. Some will even spray water on the offending deer.
3. Organic Pest Repellents
There are several organic, plant-based repellents that can be applied to trees. The habitat, your dogs, and the trees are all protected from pollutants by this solution, which also keeps out rats and other animals.
4. Chemical Repellents
Chemical repellents are a feasible alternative if natural repellents are ineffective. Before using the product, carefully read the product information to make sure your pets won’t accidentally receive a dose.
Have a Qualified Arborist inspect your trees for animal damage.
Animals have the potential to seriously harm your tree before you ever notice an issue. With specialized tree care and services, our professional arborists can support the wellness and appeal of your property.
In particular, if your trees are displaying indications of animal damage or other stress, get in touch with us for a professional tree health assessment. By dialing (815) 476-3395, you can also arrange for an inspection.