MICE!!!

[M. Frary]

I said I'd start a thread on some things I found the other day once the snow receded from my trees.
First up a couple procumbens I've been growing out. At least you can see what staking up these trees does. Plain as day!

 

[M. Frary]

I'll let you guys think about those for a bit.
The best is yet to come.

 

[petegreg]

Nice aerial roots BTW on this...

 

[M. Frary]

Nice aerial roots BTW on this...

Those were limbs by God!

 

[petegreg]

I know, can imagine looking at foliage on the top of the soil...I would be furious if this were mine. I'm sorry.

 

[barrosinc]

So the live vein is completely gone?
Bummer!

any more losses or just the one?

 

[M. Frary]

I know, can imagine looking at foliage on the top of the soil...I would be furious if this were mine. I'm sorry.

That's nothing. No need for apologies. I'm just making the best out of a bad situation.
Next up a hawthorn I dug up a couple years ago.
Looks like they really liked this one!
There was another sitting right next to it. Not a tooth mark on it.

 

[M. Frary]

So the live vein is completely gone?
Bummer!

any more losses or just the one?

Hang in there Max! It only gets better and better.

 

[petegreg]

Did you have the trees covered-protected by any leaves/branches or simply put on the ground under the snow?

 

[Dav4]

Sorry Mike. I know how it feels to lose trees to mice (1 smallish grafted JWP, a large Japanese maple with potential but needing a ton of work) but I suspect your losses will blow mine away.

 

[M. Frary]

Did you have the trees covered-protected by any leaves/branches or simply put on the ground under the snow?

Surrounded bt 4' tall 1/4" hardware cloth that's buried 6" in the ground. The trees were sitting on straw buried up to the branches in straw. I don't know if the much climbed over or if they found a small gap in the fence.

 

[Cypress187]

I have a small flowering shrub and mice ate all the buds (during our 'winter'), but they all came back (omg) in like 1 month (in the late winter), I'm sorry about your tree's man.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Dude, I feel your pain. It is really difficult to make a mouse proof winter shelter. Wire me's idea is good. Also scattering moth balls - paradichlorobenzene pellets around the trunks in autumn helps, but nothing is fool proof. Mice, voles, rabbits, and deer are all bonsai vermine in my book.

 

[coh]

Been there...experienced it. It's why I don't keep trees outside during the winter anymore.

Have also had issues with trees on the floor in my barn. Now they all go on tables, at least the ones I care most about. Anything on the floor I'll wrap the trunks with that plastic mesh/rodent guard. Also use it on the trees that are in the nursery bed. It does seem to help, but if the snow is deep the critters will have access to the higher parts of the trunk and branches.

Question, was the fencing metal? They'll eat right through plastic.

 

[petegreg]

Straw...branches...I refuse using whatever similar, it makes heaven for mice and voles. I always bury the threes in the ground and cover them with the garden soil. Used to do it without the pots. But this winter was the first one since I started growing in inorganic soil...so I covered the pots by the agrotextile and buried as usually. Taking them out in the spring I was pleased with the result. No garden soil got to the bonsai substrate, needed just a wet cloth to wipe the pots slightly. BTW this was advised by my bonsai friends.

 

[base797]

Yikes, I thought I had it bad with squirrels.

Patrik

 

[Waltron]

View attachment 97907
That's nothing. No need for apologies. I'm just making the best out of a bad situation.
Next up a hawthorn I dug up a couple years ago.
Looks like they really liked this one!
There was another sitting right next to it. Not a tooth mark on it.

what. the. shit. dang man thats tuff.

 

[GrimLore]

Only thing that will help with that many mice is Tomcat... I used to have a need for it in a rural property I had in NY years back, nothing else worked -



You have way to many to even bother with anything else - trust me...

Grimmy

 

[M. Frary]

Question, was the fencing metal?

Sure was.
Big elm is next. I may be able to ground layer this but the damage is pretty high up the back side.
We're heading to a cresdendo!

 

[Dav4]

Not the Jack pine?!?!