Deterring voles / mice from ring barking?

[sandspider]

Hi all

I have a small orchard that is (was) maturing nicely. I've just popped out to put a bit of manure on it, and discovered the bark at the base of one apple tree almost completely chewed away, nearly the whole way round the tree. Mice or voles I guess. There's a bit of bark left (for now) so I'm hoping the tree will survive, but is there some sort deterrent to stop the little sods coming back and finishing the job?!

Thanks.

[nickdub]

I have had problems in the past with this some winters caused by rabbits, and other years by deer. A physical barrier wrapped around the trunks is the best deterrent. You can buy fancy plastic spiral tree guards which will do the job. I have found old back bin bags work just as well though they do not last more than a couple of years. As long as you bandage your trees up, and provided the ringing is not total, they will grow away again in the future.

I had one tree where the only bark left on it was about a 1 cm wide vertical strip for a meter from ground level, where ivy was growing up it, and that regrew.

[FB.]

I would suspect rabbits or deer.

[sandspider]

Thanks both. Think it's mice as we have loads of them (no rabbits and only one deer ever seen) and the chewing only reaches about 10cm from ground level. I'm a bit wary of using tree guards, as the voles and mice tend to live inside them! But I can certainly bandage the trunk with a bit of rubber or similar, hopefully that'll deter them from eating the last bit of bark. Cheers.

[Nicos]

If it's voles ( we have loads of problems with them) I have found that planting lots daffodil bulbs around whatever you want to protect seems to keep them away.

[sandspider]

Really?! I think it's probably mice and do have a few daffs around anyway. Have protected the chewed part for now, crossing fingers.

[Nicos]

Fingers crossed!

[nickdub]

If you are bandaging and want to use rubber cut up old bicycle inner tubes or similar, will do the trick.