Mice are eating my tree!

Dr.Bonsai

Dear Graham,

Rodents like squirrels, rats and mice can be a big problem in the winter and early spring when other food reserves are at a minimum. They do seem to favor the bark of azalea, maple and flowering plum. Their bites can be identified by the narrow, deep furrows left by the front incisors on the trunk. You can consider sprinkling cayenne pepper on the soil of the trees to discourage them. Ultrasonic chirpers are also available that you could install in your greenhouse to drive the pests away.

As far as the damage itself: unfortunately, azaleas have very thin bark that is slow to heal. The good news is if the nibbling did not completely girdle the tree it will probably not suffer in health. Younger and more vigorous trees will heal more rapidly. To accelerate the process, use a sharp knife to clean up the edges of the wound. Next apply a wound sealant over the surface of the wound. Repeat this process every six months to one year or so. Scraping the edges of the callus as it forms with the spatula end of a pair of tweezers just down to the green surface beneath the bark every few months in the region of the wound will also stimulate healing.

Check out the following article on the TreeBay site:


Fertilize the tree well, let it grow more than you would normally. More growth means faster healing; and if you can stand to do so, remove the flower buds for a couple of years to give it a rest and let it divert more energy to growth.