Trees usually attract all sorts of animals, but not all of them are friendly. Some animals, such as rodents, raccoons, or snakes can cause damage to your property and attract even more pests. If you are looking for a cruelty-free way to stop them from climbing your trees and damaging your surroundings, then tree guards are one of the best solutions out there.
Tree guards or tree baffles are pieces of metal that are placed around the tree trunk to prevent animals from climbing the tree. They can also prevent tree trunk damage, which can be caused by winds or machines, such as lawnmowers and trimmers.
If rodents are nibbling on your tree bark, eating your fruits, and building nests in your trees, or other animals such as raccoons, snakes or iguanas are climbing them, then setting up tree guards can be one of the solutions. If you have young, fragile trees that can suffer wind damage or if you keep damaging the bottom of the tree with a lawnmower or trimmer, you should also consider setting up tree guards.
One of the ways to stop squirrels from climbing your trees, setting up nests, and eating your fruits, is setting up tree guards or baffles – pieces of metal sheet that you wrap around your tree trunk. Because they are slippery, squirrels will not be able to climb past them, so they will eventually give up and leave your trees alone.
If your tree guards are supporting younger trees, then they are usually removed after a year or two. If your trees still need additional support or protection after that time, you can keep them on, but make sure to track their condition and not allow them to affect trees’ development. When it comes to larger trees and tree baffles, you can leave them on for several years, but make sure to track their condition and replace them if you notice any damage or they start affecting the trees’ growth.
Tree guards/baffles can provide additional support or protection for young trees, they can prevent different kinds of animals from climbing your trees and they can prevent mechanical tree damage, such as damage caused by lawnmowers or trimmers.
Depending on the reason why you are setting them up, you can place tree guards/baffles at the bottom of your tree and keep them a foot or two wide, to protect from smaller rodents and mechanical tree damage caused by lawnmowers and trimmers. For smaller and younger trees, that are less than 6 feet tall, you can place them all around the tree trunk, all the way up to the canopy. If you want to prevent animals from climbing your bigger, mature trees, then you can set them up around the tree trunk approximately two or three feet above the ground.
Trees are always a nice asset on the property, especially in Florida, where they can provide a lot of shade, help cool the air, and contain some of the moisture that is characteristic of the area. But they also attract different types of animals, such as birds, rodents, iguanas, snakes, raccoons, and others.
Most people don’t really want to harm these animals, but they do want to protect their property. That is why they turn to one of the best, cruelty-free solutions – tree guards.
Tree guards/baffles are specialized wraps that you can place on tree trunks without damaging the tree bark or suppressing tree growth. They come in different, adjustable sizes, and are usually made out of non-corrodable metals such as aluminum and stainless steel, which is important in a humid area such as Florida. You can place them on any type of tree, including palm trees.
Their main purpose is to protect your trees. They prevent animals from inhabiting the tree trunk, which often happens if a trunk has deeper indentations and holes, perfect for building nests.
They can protect young trees from animals that like to nibble on their juicy bark, such as rabbits, beavers, rats, mice, and squirrels. They can also prevent animals from climbing your trees, building nests in the canopy, or eating your fruits.
Tree guards can be used in other cases too, for example, they can protect the bottom of your tree which often gets damaged during mowing, or they can offer additional support to young, fragile trees. While Florida is quite warm throughout the year, tree guards can still prevent young trees from freezing on rare occasions when the temperatures do fall.
There are a few types of tree guards/baffles, which offer different kinds of protection to your trees.
Setting up tree guards might seem easy, but remember that you have to attach the tree guard to the bark, which can damage the tree if not done correctly. If the guards are not properly fixated, they can fall off as soon as animals reach them.
The process of setting up tree guards might look something like this:
Because you risk damaging the tree during the tree guard setup process, hiring a professional tree service is the safest option. Our team will set up tree guards in a way that does not damage the tree, and you will be able to rest assured that those guards are not going anywhere. Protect your trees and property. Contact us to get a free estimate!
