How to save an apple tree damaged by mice? Treatment and prevention.

Every gardener who has his own plot is proud of the grown harvest, flowering plants and, of course, fruit trees. However, the latter are very often attacked by rodents. Especially mice are attracted by the bark of apple and pear. Sometimes preventive measures prove to be ineffective. How to save an apple tree damaged by mice, we will consider in this article.

What happens to the tree?

The bark is the main transport route along which useful nutrients and water move. If at least part of the trunk remains unharmed, the outcome can be successful, since the tree receives all the substances from the earth into the crown through the undamaged side. But even then the apple tree becomes weak, more susceptible to diseases and pests, flowering and fruiting will be sluggish.

If the mice damaged the bark of the apple tree in a circle of the trunk, then the tree most likely dies, as access to nutrients becomes impossible. In this case, it is required to cut or uproot the tree.

Treatment of apple damaged by mice

The most important thing is the timely treatment of damaged apple trees. In mice, trees are most often affected in the spring, as rodent activity increases from February to March.

Small wounds on the tree can be treated with a garden boil or prepare a special healing mixture. It consists of clay and mullein, which are mixed in equal proportions and applied to the trunks evenly. After that, they are wrapped in cloth or gauze, covered with rain by polyethylene. It turns out a kind of medical dressing, but it works only for small and medium damage.

How to save the apple tree, damaged by mice quite strongly? In the event that the area of damage to the bark is large or the mice have gnawed it in a circle, it will be necessary to exert efforts to save the tree. As soon as damage has become visible, they are wrapped around with a film, and on top covered with a ruberoid. It is especially important to make such a bandage as soon as possible in winter, so that the tree does not get frozen through. And with the onset of spring can be vaccinated with a bridge.

How to properly vaccinate the bridge?

How to save the apple tree, damaged by mice in a circle, and even in frosts? It will take a special vaccination. To begin with, the damaged bark is cut and scraped until healthy wood appears. Further processed with preparations containing copper or manganese.

After this, several annual cuttings of any kind of apple or pear are cut, absolutely any species, even wild ones, will do. Cuttings should be cut so that they are 3-4 cm longer than the width of the lesion. On both sides cuttings are made oblique slices. An important condition is a good sharpening of the tool!

Further in the upper and lower parts of the cortex, between which the damage is located, is made along the T-shaped notch. The bark neatly bends and inserts ready cuttings under it. Then this place is covered with var, wrapped with ribbons or a special film after vaccination. The latter itself disappears with time under the influence of ultraviolet.

Such bristle bridges are located on the entire surface of the lesion at a distance of 6 centimeters from each other. Top covered with burlap and left until the end of summer. On such peculiar bridges the nutrition from the roots goes to the shoots and leaves.

When properly vaccinated, the damaged area is covered with fresh bark.

Prevention - in the first place

Since prevention is always easier than curing, first consider preventive measures. The most economical and common option is to protect the trunk of an apple tree with spruce branches. They are tied around a tree, with needles looking down. The branches are arranged so that the greatest number of needles is located at the bottom of the trunk. This makes the lower bark inaccessible to rodents.

Another available method is tying the trunk with a ruberoid. However, you should pay attention to the next moment. The ruberoid is black, which means it attracts the sun's rays, the surface is heated and burns can appear on the tree. To prevent this from happening, the trunk is tied with a thick cloth or burlap before the layer of roofing material.

Another method of protection is the mulching of the circumferential space with sawdust impregnated with creolin.

In addition, the stores sell special nets and baits for the destruction of mice. A fenced fence should be installed around the garden, and in the winter trample the snow around the apple trees to destroy the mouse moves.

In custody

So, even a partial loss of the bark is a catastrophe for the tree, because, having lost its "skin", the apple tree becomes very vulnerable and can die from any disease or lack of nutrition. The best way to save the apple-damaged apple is by grafting with a bridge.

However, it is best to give due attention to preventive measures, in this case the tree will not become an easy prey for mice and other rodents.