Author Topic: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits  (Read 1612 times)

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« on: July 10, 2019, 09:55:49 PM »
Any ideas to protect trees?
Where i live ,lately the hunters ( humans) completely dissapeared because of demographics,they eyther got too old or died of old age.Younger generations have zero interest  in hunting and that caused an increase in rabits and deers populations.
I have a small terrain thats not fenced ,on the river bed and i want to plant 100 fruit trees there ,but im affraid i that i will loose them to rabits and deers like one neighbour of that terrain did this year.
Im thinking to use a soird of paint mixture that has a pestilential smell to it ,and paint the trees trunks to deter the rabits and deers.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2019, 09:57:21 PM by SeaWalnut »

sahai1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 524
    • NST, THAILAND
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2019, 10:54:34 PM »
dogs, preferably with recent wolf/jackal introduction to genetics, a breeding pair and a few female offspring...

Or just buy wolf urine and spray.

Pokeweed

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 345
    • Houston TX
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2019, 09:35:30 AM »
I have to use hardware cloth or poultry netting enclosures around my trees until they get to a couple of meters tall and afterward they are pretty safe from deer. A hardware cloth wrap around the trunk about 18" tall protects from rabbits. You can also use bone meal or the sludge from an abattoir randomly around the area. Makes them think an apex predator is gorging itself on their friends in there.
D

Pokeweed

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 345
    • Houston TX
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2019, 09:41:21 AM »
Maybe become the hunter?
D

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2019, 03:01:38 PM »
Ive quit hunting when i was 20 yrs old .Now i grow fruit trees and bees only because i dislike killing animals like chickens and porks.
Cant keep a dog on that land because its not fenced and would be too expensive to install a fence( the land is a narrow strip just 7 meters wide and less than 250 meters long ).In fact i have 2 such lands,narrow and long where i will plant trees in the spring.

TnTrobbie

  • runs with pruners
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1038
  • ZonePusher has a spot for that.
    • 10b + 9b FL
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2019, 06:47:08 PM »
Deers sucks asss. I've lost quit a few young trees to them (mangoes, jujube and sapodillas and flowering plants too).
The next best option to killing them is exclusion. Exclusion from your land or individually from the trees themselves. 5 foot fencing T posts (@$3.98 ea) and UV resistant deer netting (4'-5')(@ $10 / 100ft roll). All you need is 3 posts about 4ft apart per plant equidistant to each other. Wrap the roll tight (3x4=~12ft) and secure and use uv resistant zipties to secure (two will do per tree).
Wabbits I have no experience or problems with.

The Earth laughs in flowers. And bear gifts through fruits.
No where to plant it ...but at least I got it. ;)
F*ck squirrels and deers

Gogu

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 91
    • US, HI, Waianae 12a-12b
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2019, 07:50:55 PM »
How about making a wire cage around your trees? That's what I have around my pawpaws to protect for rabbits. Just have to make it a bit taller to deal with deer I reckon. If the trees are too big for that, maybe you could spray the trees with something bitter.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2019, 08:29:16 PM by Gogu »

SeaWalnut

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1397
    • Romania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2019, 08:25:37 PM »
If i put 100 cages on a terrain with no fence like that ,they will get stolen andd even somme trees might stolen because thieves will think they have found something expensive .
Blood meal mixed with paint its what il try and for the rabbits il put 2 Cd disks from place to place after ive read it skares them because they think those are owl eyes.

palmcity

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 826
    • Martin County, Fl zone10a
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2019, 11:32:42 PM »
If i put 100 cages on a terrain with no fence like that ,they will get stolen andd even somme trees might stolen because thieves will think they have found something expensive .

Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
Any ideas to protect trees?

Items that none will steal::: Plastic bottles, plastic drain pipes/sewer pipes cut into shorter pieces work also.  If using milk to water bottles just slice top off a few inches to size to surround trunk if needed larger and make a circle in bottom of container same size with knife etc. Then slit with knife from top to bottom once only. It can now be pulled open to surround the small tree from the ground up to the size of the plastic container used. This will protect the common area chewed from rabbits and at least it can regrow it something else eats the very tip top of it. 
Drainage & sewer pipes are easier since always large enough for trunk the entire distance and just slice with knife open and surround your small tree to what ever length you cut before slicing it open.

Enjoy...  ;)
« Last Edit: July 11, 2019, 11:34:46 PM by palmcity »

Oncorhynchus

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 92
    • SW Florida, 9B
    • View Profile
Re: Protecting young trees from deer and rabbits
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2019, 11:51:26 AM »
Blood and bone meal work alright and planting rosemary is supposed to help as well.  Excrement from large predators is supposed to work pretty well, you’ll just need a pet tiger...