prevent Squirrel damage??

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
SDB777

SDB777

I find unique timber and cut it up
Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Messages
918
Location
Cabot, AR USA
Feed them something else that they like better....corncobs on a stick.


Thinking if the squirrels are eating bark, then they are on the edge of starving to death. Most likely, they had something on their teeth and were just 'brushing'.






Scott B
 

ATH

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Nov 19, 2006
Messages
5,045
Location
Ohio
If I had squirrels chewing on Siberian elm bark, I think I'd smear peanut butter on the bark :laugh:

They are rodents, they chew on woody things because they need to wear their teeth down, not that they are so hungry. There are several commercial mammal repellants, such as Plantskydd.
 
mpatch

mpatch

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
226
Location
lost
It's a pretty big problem out here (front range of Colorado) they eat the crap out of trees (mainly Siberian Elms but also Locust, Hackberry, Ash, etc.) , some years are worse than others. I think the starving part may have something to do with it not sure. Pretty sure squirrels aren't meant to be here but then again neither are trees. When I first came out here from the midwest and had to trim a squirrel damaged tree I was like WTF, they aren't supposed to eat the tree.
 
mpatch

mpatch

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
226
Location
lost
not talking little trees here worst one I have had to deal with this year was about 60-70" dbh and about 85-90 ft tall. What happens it the squirrels girdle the brach and then new growth starts and the process repeats itself until there is enough dead around the new growth that the squirrels cant get to it (picture a dead bush with a few live spindly parts in the middle and that's what the tips look like), and what is alive is normally way too long for it's diameter so you fish the dead out and head back the alive part so it can support it's own weight. Will snap a few pics.
 
Alfred01

Alfred01

New Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2011
Messages
3
Location
USA
The idea of Anne sounds well to prevent through applying repellent such as Ro-pel,This will be precaution to avoid and implement in future.
 

ATH

Addicted to ArboristSite
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Nov 19, 2006
Messages
5,045
Location
Ohio
Just got an e-mail last week about a product called Repellex]Tree Care Supplies - Equipment for professional arborists and landscapers. This is supposed to be a systemic that is taken into the tree to make it unsavory. I haven't tried them yet, but just ordered some as the squirrels are chewing on a tree I just planted for my sister-in-law. They have already taken the bark off nearly 3/4 of the way around :msp_angry:
 
PinnaclePete

PinnaclePete

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
1,115
Location
Little Rock
I have heard a solution of water and cayenne pepper painted on the trunks works. Suppose to work for wood peckers too. beastmaster

For the last 2 years I've been using this, but mix equal parts of water and vegetable oil to make a cayenne pepper mayonaise spread. The oil penetrates the bark and acts as rain-proofing.

We have problems with the tree rats chewing the bark off expensive Jap. maples, and this has kept them from coming back.

SDB777, also very good when baking the suckers, can't take the green beans though.
 
Top