Protect trees from injury due to buck rub. The best thing you can do to protect your trees from deer antler rubbing is to prevent the deer from getting close to the tree trunk or branches. Perimeter Deer Fencing A good fence is the best way to keep deer away from your trees, shrubs and perennials. A deposit station. If you need help preventing deer damage or helping your tree recover from deer damage we can help. Bucks routinely will return to the same location year after year to remove their velvet. To shed their velvet. The young 5 to 6 foot dogwood has some of the inner wood exposed. This photo above shows the damage to a young Japanese Maple Tree. Rubbing of the antlers on the bark can gouge and strip the bark from the trees causing anything from minor cosmetic damage to girdling which is fatal for the tree. Just make sure the cages do not rub on existing tree branches. You've all heard, big deer rub on big trees - small deer rub on small trees. Question 2: … The bark appears to be peeled away or stripped from the tree. This usually involves using the bark of a tree, and most bark is not secure enough to hold up against such an assault. Young trees, especially those 1 to 4 inches in diameter with smooth bark, such as maple, magnolias, and birch, are especially susceptible to rutting. The trick to keeping deer from eating your shrubs is to make these usually tasty feasts taste terrible. Rubbing their antlers on fruit trees is an innate seasonal habit of male deer, or bucks, and it can be quite detrimental to the trees. Spraying each tree is a big effort, but we think its worth it so long as it works. As you can see, the Magnolia tree is still with me today. For these, you will need to create a barrier that circles all of the trunk and/or branched area. They are very thorough and may scratch all the way around the tree or just one side. Many people in the past have assumed that it is due to the velvet that initially covers buck antlers. Wrap the tree trunk itself with chicken wire or a type of plastic tree guard. Read on to learn how deer damage trees and how to protect your landscape investments from deer. Three stakes driven into the ground around the tree may be enough to keep deer from rubbing the trunk. Annual estimates of deer damage are reported to exceed $250 million in damage to metropolitan households (e.g., landscape plantings). The tree damage occurs during rut season or deer breeding period. Install a 6 to 8 foot tall fence for tree protection. The loose fitting vinyl spiral tree guard allows room for growth. However, big deer will also rub on small trees, but small deer seldom rub on big trees. There are two main ways deer damage trees: 1) feeding on foliage and 2) rutting. Plastic Mesh tree guards can be found in hardware stores, garden stores, and home improvement supply stores. Thanks for stopping by. Euonymus (also called spindle, burning-bush, strawberry-bush, wahoo, or wintercreeper) is a favorite target of deer. Plastic tubs or pipe guards are best suited for younger, smaller trees. This damage leaves the tree in a vulnerable state unless the tree wound can be repaired. Deer damage can be costly, unsightly, and even deadly to trees and shrubs. How a Deer Antler Rub Can Damage a Fruit Tree.  In addition to the rubbing of antlers deer bucks will also put on a show of assertion by thrashing and battering against a tree. This activity occurs over the evening hours beginning in the Fall. Research … They achieve this by rubbing their antlers against trees to remove the velvet and by thrashing and battering the tree. Bucks rub their antlers against young trees because they are still flexible. Deer rub occurs when male deer rub their forehead and antlers against a tree trunk. SF Gate suggests the height of tree guards should be 4-5 feet tall for full protection. You notice vertical scrapes and shredded bark on the tree trunk area. This would mean a fence that is 6 feet tall that deer can not jump over or get through. They are not available to the public which is why we don’t reference product names in our article. Deer rub or Buck rub is common during the rut season. When the food supply is low, deer will wander into your yards and gardens and feast on your plants, trees, and shrubs. Discouraged they will move on to the next tasty plant in the vicinity (usually your neighbor’s plants unless they get deer protection as well.). PREVENT DEER RUBBING : Multi-Trunk Trees On a multiple trunk tree, or a tree that has branches low to the ground (such as my magnolias), a corrugated pipe will not work. How to Protect a Tree from Deer Rubbing I like to use a black plastic plastic mesh (Amazon Aff) as a deer wrap for my trees. ), Candy Lily (Pardancanda x norrisii), Roses, Yews (Taxus sp.) I’m sorry you felt our article was of little value. The plastic mesh tree guards are available in rolls in several lengths. Darker color tubes and pipes may produce heat from the Sun. One of the most expensive and involved ways is to put up protective fencing around your yard. If inner wood is exposed to extreme cold temperatures, tree survival is at risk. Deer feeding on foliage can affect the plant’s shape and ability to feed itself through photosynthesis. As Winter continues, food sources from green plants become more difficult to find. Before I list some measures that several smart folks have told me over the years, let me provide a few basics. And so they look for trees they can rub their antlers on that will help get that velvet off,” said Dan Zarlenga, with the Missouri Department of Conservation. For the most part that's true. At the latest, attach the tree guards prior to rut season. You can also make your own tree guards by using chicken wire just make sure the wire is taller than your average buck. The best way to protect your tree is to physically block off deer with a fence or tree guard. … You notice vertical scrapes and shredded bark on the tree trunk area. The easiest option is for homeowners to purchase wire or plastic tree guards that wrap around the base of the tree. Rubbing their forehead and antlers against a tree, the deer or buck can severely damage a tree trunk. The best way to accomplish this is by putting up fencing. Sunscald happens when the warm sun is reflected off the snow on to the tree trunk. Hi Joe, thank you for your feedback. Great explained here, I really impressed through this article, thanks, Thanks for the comment Alina – appreciate you reading our blog! Use plastic tubes or pipes as a tree guard. ... ohDEER provides the all-natural and toxic-free solutions that keep deer away from your trees, bushes, shrubs, vegetables, and flowers. Rubbing their forehead and antlers against a tree, the deer or buck can severely damage a tree trunk. Also referred to as deer antler rub or buck rub, the damage can sometimes be extensive. ohDEER wants to note, too, with warm weather upon us, that our all-natural and toxic-free … Deer can easily jump smaller fences. Tree trunk wraps, tubes, and pipes also protect trees from sunscald. Why exactly do bucks (and, in the case of reindeer, female deer as well) use trees as glorified scratching posts? Required fields are marked *, Protect Trees from Deer Rub During Fall and Winter, Protect Trees from Deer Rub or Deer Antler Rub. Rubbing also peaks in late winter when the bucks shed their antlers. Give us a call at 703-573-3029 or book an appointment with one of our Certified Arborists through our online scheduler. Cambium is the layer between the bark and the wood that helps transport nutrients through the tree. When deer rub their antlers against the tree it removes the tree’s cambium. In some cases, this damage can have long term effects and disfigure your landscape. The next time the deer wander onto your property for a snack, they will go in for a taste but quickly find out that what looks like their favorite meal tastes horrible. So, the rut season includes the entire deer breeding season which begins in early Fall. The beginning of rut season is usually as the buck sheds the velvet from their antlers. Avoid deer rub tree damage to young trees by wrapping a tree with a tree guard. If you live in a community with a large deer population, apply tree guards to all young trees. The wrapping needs to start at the lowest … Because deer lack upper incisors, browsed twigs and stems show a … The deer used the tree as a marker for their sent by rubbing their antlers on it twice! During the fall and winter food can be scarce for deer. The vinyl spiral can be cut to any length to fit over the young tree. Applying contact repellents on the tree should prevent chewing; however, it may not stop rubbing of its antlers. The black plastic mesh allows air to circulate around the tree yet is enough of an impediment to prevent the deer antlers from messing with the trunk. This option protect trees from deer rub by making trees inaccessible to deer. So a cedar or vinyl 6 foot fence may be enough to deter deer from jumping over. If you have some tips that you’ve found to be effective to protect trees from deer rub damage, please let us know. One of the most expensive and involved ways is to put up protective fencing around your yard. But they’re also stations to deposit scent in the … Cut tubes or pipes lengthwise for fitting around tree trunks. The velvet covering the antlers is a soft membrane or layer of skin over growing antlers. As Winter approaches and temperatures drop below freezing, the young tree is at risk of severe damage. In urban areas, home landscapes may become the major source of food. Any kind of fence will work, although most people choose “deer fencing,” a black mesh fence made from heavy-duty plastic that’s typically 7.5 feet tall. Protect trees from deer rub this Fall season. This photo above shows the damage to a white Dogwood tree. Tree guards are made of metal or plastic. For the wildlife enthusiast, the sight of a deer rubbing his antlers up against a tree may be a delightful experience… until you find out how much damage the tree has sustained. The easiest way to stop deer from rubbing their antlers on your tree is to put up a physical barrier. Early in the rut season, the intense rubbing by deer removes the velvet. The image above, shows a tree guard wrapped around a young tree. And so they look for trees they can rub their antlers on that will help get that velvet off,” said Dan Zarlenga, with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Have you noticed deer rub damage to your trees? Damage is most commonly noticed in spring on new, succulent growth. If the rub is on a small tree, how high it is off the ground is a good indicator as to the size of the buck - the higher off the ground, typically the bigger the buck. The Japanese Maple was not protected from deer rub. In this case, the products that our company uses and refers to in the article need a commercial pesticide applicator license to purchase and apply. If you’re having problems with deer feeding on your trees/shrubs we’d love to help. If you already have deer damage on your tree it can not be reversed. Your recent publication on How To Stop Deer From Feeding On Trees is of little value unless you provide your recommendation on a “special product that makes your shrubs taste bad.” It wasn’t worth my time to click it open and read it. You can accomplish a physical barrier in a few ways. Damage caused by bucks rubbing their antlers on small trees can be prevented by driving three sturdy wooden stakes or fence posts around each tree in late summer. It was believed that this velvet was itchy, and bucks were simply relieving the irritation. Our Arborists suggest utilizing mulching, bio-stimulants, preventative disease/insect treatments, proper watering, aeration, and regular pruning to help your tree recover from deer damage. Trunk damage typically occurs 1½ to 3½ feet above the ground. 18 Amaryllis Christmas Gifts for Giving Deer can pose a serious aesthetic and economic threat. First of all, throughout the year, starting in the spring, deer form new antlers that come with … The bark appears to be peeled away or stripped from the tree. 27 Best Gifts for Gardeners   Because this is also a territorial action, the buck may revisit trees they like in subsequent years. Second, a hungry deer will find almost any plant palatable, so no … The scent attracts females during mating or rut season. Male deer are also called stag or buck. These barriers makes access to the tree trunk impossible. 1. Use a white or light colored plastic for tree trunk protection. Young trees left without bark are at risk of severe damage as temperatures drop. When a deer rubs its antlers, that is called a Buck rub. However, if you properly maintain your tree and give it a little TLC the tree may be able to recover, depending on the extent of the damage. Burlap wrapped shrubs are not exposed to any wildlife or weather conditions. Use these methods to protect trees from deer rub before the Winter temperatures further damage your trees. We have several fairly young deciduous trees, and the local deer like to rub their antlers on them. Early in the rut season, the intense rubbing by deer removes the velvet. Asides damaging your trees, deer can spread Lyme disease. Once a buck commences to rubbing off the antler felt, it usually completes the task in 24 hours. To learn more, schedule an appointment with one of our Certified Arborists by calling 703-573-3029 or booking through our online scheduler. There is a misconception about bucks who rub their antlers on trees. The markings on the tree look suspiciously like the damage caused by the antlers of a buck deer. A Bachman gardener said don't put them on until the end of Oct. We're confused. Problem is, when it rains the repellant gets washed off and we have to spray the trees all over again. The tree guard protects the young tree from deer rub. This rubbing removes the thin layer of bark on small trees and can seriously damage or destroy them. Bucks routinely will return to the same location year after year to remove their velvet. Also, the scent warns other bucks to stay clear of the area. There are also tree guards made from vinyl spiral that wraps loosely around the tree trunk. Apply tree guards to trees right after they are planted. Bucks accelerate its removal by rubbing their antlers on trees or raking them through brush. 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