So much effort and money has been spent on growing vegetables and ensuring that garden trees and shrubs bear fruit. And when harvesting, it turns out that wild animals living near humans have already contributed to the harvest. Let's choose the top 5 most malicious of them.
Among the four-legged “uninvited guests” there are both those with whom you have to fight constantly, and those who appear at your dacha occasionally. However, both of them can cause significant harm not only to plantings, but also to human health. Just remember the plague carried by rats.
What does a nuthatch look like?
Description A small, agile bird 12-14.5 cm long, wingspan 22.5-27 cm and weighing 20-25 g; with a dense build, a large head and a short, almost invisible neck. The plumage is fluffy and thick. ... In Western Europe, Western Asia and the Caucasus, the belly is red, and the chin and neck are white.
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Dangerous hares. How to save a garden from eared pests
In snowy winters, when there is not enough food in the fields and forest edges, hares cause enormous damage to orchards, gnawing high on the bark of trees and gnawing branches with fruit buds.
Hares make their main forays into garden plots during the first snow. But they are most harmful towards the end of winter and at the beginning of spring before lambing. At this time, females require vitamins. Therefore, they mercilessly eat the trunks of young trees, causing enormous damage to the young garden, said Interfax.by expert Vladimir Tereshchuk, candidate of agricultural sciences.
Harm from hares in the garden
Making massive raids or coming to your garden one by one, hares immediately try to destroy the young, whose bark is juicier and not so hard. Having destroyed the maximum of such growth in the garden, the animals begin to destroy the bark on more mature trees. Since there is no favorite food for them now, they gradually peel off the lower layers of the bark of deciduous trees, then higher and higher, until they reach a height of up to one meter. Yes, bunnies feed while standing on their hind legs and completely exposing the most important part of any tree. This causes serious harm!
Initially, the winter cold has a harsh effect on the “bare” wood, which begins to dry out and crack. Freezing itself has a very bad effect on garden trees, because during frosts an unprotected tree dies quite often, and one without bark on the trunk, almost without exception. Enormous harm for a young garden, because hares destroy all the young branches and stems, which in the spring would be ready to produce flowering and fruits, young foliage.
How to determine that hares have visited the territory
If we do not see a “eared pest” in the garden, this does not mean that it does not exist. Hares eat tree bark at night, very wary of any rustles or movements. Due to poor eyesight, but very good hearing, with which nature has replaced some shortcomings, the animal may not catch the eye, but at the same time continue to create trouble in the garden. Few summer residents can immediately understand who exactly they are fighting with, because without seeing the enemy, it is difficult to choose a method of expelling or destroying him. But there are also certain signs by which one can recognize hare activity in the garden: Shoots of young plants are eaten to the very roots, as if someone had removed them with pruning shears; The bark on young bushes and trees, and partly on mature trees, is absent at a height of up to one meter (or simply eaten away if hares have recently visited); The relief of the dacha plot is partially spoiled by potholes; It is quite possible that you will find other traces of a guest in the garden, because the food eaten needs to go somewhere.
Maybe we are in vain sinning on a cute fluffy creature, and another animal has worked here? Let's get acquainted with the characteristic handwriting of a hare. So.
The hare stands on its hind legs and peels the bark of the tree in a circle. The trunk can be twisted up to a meter in height.
The young shoots are eaten away as if someone had cut them with scissors.
If you look closely, you will see small holes in the snow or on the ground, as if someone was digging.
Physical protection from hares
You can solve the problem of hares in one fell swoop by installing a real, strong and high fence around the area so that they cannot crawl under it or jump over it. In order for the fence to “work”, when installing it, you need to bury iron sheets about thirty centimeters into the soil to completely eliminate digging, and the height of the fence must be at least two meters, because sometimes a layer of snow can fall up to a meter or even one and a half.
The most effective way to preserve trees is to install barriers. The trunks of especially valuable varieties are wrapped with a fine net about 130 cm high; ideally, the net should be buried 30 cm into the soil, because hares are known demolitionists.
A very old method that is still used today: the trunk is tied with spruce branches in several layers from bottom to top, like a pyramid (with needles down). The spruce branches allow air to pass through, but the procedure itself is quite troublesome.
Now spruce branches have been replaced by modern materials that allow air to pass through. For example, sugar burlap. But roofing felt or dark film are not suitable for this purpose; in the spring, the black material will heat up and a too sharp temperature drop will occur: it’s cold outside the roofing felt, but warm inside. The bark may crack.
An old trick: they wrap tree trunks with old nylon tights; to enhance the effect, they can be pre-sprayed with diesel fuel or kerosene.
Cut the plastic bottles crosswise and put a ring on the barrel.
But any binding must be removed in the spring, immediately after thawed patches appear, otherwise the bark will support it.
We do not recommend setting traps for humane reasons. Still, a few kilograms of apples are not worth the life of the big-eared
There is an opinion that hares cannot stand dog hair.
It is tied to the lower ends of branches of fruit trees that the hare may be attracted to. The smellier the wool, the better. Popular
news Some gardeners are sure that hares (and mice) are repelled by the smell of wormwood. Therefore, they wrap the branches of this plant around the tree trunk.
Hanging strips of shiny material on branches is a controversial method. Some speak well of it, but most believe that after 3-4 weeks the hares get used to the tinsel and already dine without being distracted by it.
Protecting your garden from hares is one of the important concerns during the cold season. It is necessary to properly prepare for a meeting with these small animals, otherwise they can seriously damage young trees and shrubs. In spring, summer and early autumn, when there is a lot of greenery in the fields and forest belts, few rabbits will run into your summer cottage. Yes, without a doubt, hares can get into your garden or vegetable garden if they find a lot of succulent food there in the form of seedlings and older cultivated plants, but this happens extremely rarely. Animals flock to villages and dacha cooperatives closer to winter, when their permanent habitat becomes more dangerous and hungry. By and large, hares could live in a field, but they do not dig holes like rabbits. They build their nests or kublas in low-lying parts of the terrain, huddling under dry grass. But in winter they are much more comfortable in our gardens, where it is not so windy, they can hide behind a hayloft or in a mountain of dry weeds, and also go to the garden for lunch at any time. It is here that the most delicious and juicy winter food now remains - the bark of trees and the stems of younger plants.
Chemical methods of protection against garden hares
To protect already grown seedlings, mature bushes and trees, use a special garden whitewash for trunks. Ready-made mixtures for whitewashing already contain preparations that will additionally protect the garden from hares. If you prepare whitewash yourself, add iron sulfate or copper oxychloride to the solution.
We recommend: do not whitewash young seedlings after autumn planting, so as not to burn the still tender bark - it is better to use a net to protect against hares.
Nowadays a special whitewash is sold that is not washed off by rain and contains copper sulfate.
I hang ribbons soaked in tar on the branches.
Signs of garden damage by hares
Shy hares in spring and summer, rarely enter gardens, but in winter they raid and eat bark and branches up to a height of 100-120 cm. And it is difficult to see uninvited guests, they feed at dusk and at night. Hares stand on their hind legs and even reach young skeletal branches, and if the snowdrifts are high, they eat the crown of young trees and severely damage berry bushes. If you notice at least one of these signs, it’s clear that the garden is visited by hares and the plants need protection:
Thin branches are cut as if by pruning shears.
The trunks of bushes and trees, skeletal branches are damaged, deprived of bark from the bottom of the trunk to a height of 150 cm, if there are snowdrifts around the seedlings.
Small excavations under the fence of the site.
Traces of hare droppings in the garden.
Advantages of the protective mesh:
The mesh allows air to pass through, so there is no stagnation of moisture near the bark.
Rodents do not penetrate through the mesh and you can safely fill the space between the trunk and the mesh with fallen leaves to insulate the plants.
It is important to know: wrapping trunks with roofing felt, cardboard, or burlap often leads to rotting of the bark due to stagnant moisture. Overheating and cracking of the bark is possible due to differences in day and night temperatures in winter.
Wrap the netting directly around the trunk. But before installing the mesh, many gardeners place several pegs around the tree, at a distance of 20-30 cm from the trunk, and then fasten them along them. Between the mesh and the trunk you can put insulating materials - agrofibre or just dry leaves. And you don’t have to take off such protection for the summer. A protective mesh installed in this way will not interfere with tree care (our mesh is 19.5 cm wide)
And the simplest and most proven method by the author of this article is to wrap the young trunks of apple and pear trees and drains with ordinary newspaper. Printed newspaper contains lead. Hares cannot stand the smell of lead and do not touch the trunks of such trees.
If the hares have already eaten the trees
It is necessary to carefully cover the wounds with garden varnish or oil paint based on drying oil. If the damage is small, it will quickly heal, but if the gnaws are large, the sap flow will be disrupted and the tree will not be saved.
Two types of hares can visit our gardens: the white hare and the brown hare.
The white hare dresses in a white fur coat in winter. He is a forest dweller and rarely goes beyond his territory.
The hare is gray. Resident of fields and open spaces. Tries to stay close to the villages. There is something to chew on here, especially in winter, when the grass in the fields is covered with snow.
Hares come out for a snack at dusk and feed until dark.
The mesh is used repeatedly; it is a rational and environmentally friendly method of protection. The protective mesh is made of fine-mesh plastic, which will reliably protect against rodents and will last in the garden for many years.
If there is a coniferous forest nearby, then instead of a net the trunks are tied with spruce or pine branches and placed with the needles down.
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Someone has to go
Despite which animal feeds on tree bark in winter and which one hibernates, some representatives of the fauna do not survive severe cold weather due to natural reasons. When predators go hunting, the chances of moose, hares and other herbivores to survive the winter, unfortunately, are significantly reduced. And all because every creature in nature is a link in the food chain, and herbivores are the best food for predators in winter. Here the presence of tree bark does not solve much. This is how harsh it is - this natural selection.
Winter dream
Animal life in winter is a real struggle for survival! It’s just that everyone has their own ways of fighting. For example, badgers, bears and raccoon dogs in the summer try to accumulate as much subcutaneous fat as possible, thanks to which they can survive the harsh cold. These animals will be able to accumulate a sufficient amount of fat reserves only if the year turns out to be favorable and fruitful. Before the onset of cold weather, they prepare holes (like badgers) or dens (like bears) and retire, falling into winter sleep. By the way, these animals sleep very lightly. There were cases when hunters did not even have time to get to the bear’s den, when the animal heard them in a dream and ran away from there.
Mice and rats
These petty thieves have been living next to people for many centuries. They destroy crops, damage property, and spread infections. The mere fact that a rat eats from 7 to 10 kg of food per year, and spoils and contaminates 10 times more food, already speaks volumes. And if we take into account their fertility (they produce from 2 to 6 litters per year), then the damage is much more significant.
Rats and mice are polyphagous rodents. In the summer, in the garden or greenhouse, traces of their incisors often appear on carrots, beets, and other root vegetables. Sometimes they eat away entire cavities in vegetables and fruits. And their passages and holes dug in the ground lead to the formation of voids at the roots of plants, because of which they begin to wither and die.
In winter, rodents move from gardens into houses and sheds, creating a terrible mess there and destroying crops stored for storage. Those pests that remain to winter in their burrows eat the bark of fruit trees and shrubs, which negatively affects their growth and development.
The central zone of the European part of Russia is mainly inhabited by house and field mice, gray and black rats, which differ in body size, tail length and color. But they cause similar harm.
Over so many years of “neighborhood”, people have come up with many different ways to combat these rodents.
- How to get rid of mice forever in your house, apartment and country house
What to do if there are mice in the house? Find out now.
But the final victory over mice and rats is still far away.
From predators to herbivores!
It is worth noting that moose, hares and beavers are not the only answer to the question: “What animal feeds on tree bark in winter?” The above-mentioned animals are, rather, leaders in eating tree bark. In addition to them, we can also remember about wild boars, which are also not averse to gnawing trees. Moreover, even some members of the canine family eat the bark. It all depends on the condition of the animal in winter. Sometimes even the most ardent predators cannot find more tolerable food for themselves than tree bark. It is known that wolves, being destroyers of wounded and sick animals, become scavengers in winter. But during a particularly unfavorable period, they turn into “herbivores”: in order to survive, they are forced to chew cones, tear frozen berries under the snow and, of course, strip the bark from trees.
Mole
Another animal that a person tries with all his might to expel from his plot is the mole. Unlike rats and mice, it does not feed on the roots of the plants under which it digs. The mole belongs to the insectivorous mammals.
His favorite “delicacy” is earthworms. But he will not refuse to eat insect larvae that harm cultivated plants. So in some sense it even brings benefits. However, constantly digging tunnels in search of food, the mole turns out seedlings, undermines the roots of plants, and its hummocks spoil the appearance of the lawn and beds.
The mole prefers to live on fertile soils, where it is easier for him to find food, because per day this animal eats as much as it weighs.
Unlike mice and rats, moles reproduce once a year. At the end of May - beginning of June, the female gives birth to from three to nine cubs. And already at the end of June, young diggers, having left their parental hole, begin to dig their own tunnels.
There are many ways to force moles to leave the place they inhabit: from folk methods to the latest technical innovations.
- Is it possible to drive moles out of the garden forever?
Moles annually cause incredible damage to summer cottages. Is it possible to prevent the dominance of these harmful mammals?
Who gnaws the bark of an apple tree?
Mice gnaw not only the bark and trunks of young apple trees; these animals can even destroy the roots of an old tree. If in the spring an apple tree has fallen to one side and its trunk easily turns in the ground, it means that most of the roots are damaged - the tree will certainly die, since it is not receiving nutrition.
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Habitat
Before you figure out what hares eat, you need to determine what they usually live like. White hare are usually found in forests and tundra zones (with ponds and meadows, of course). He likes to choose places close to agricultural areas. It is here that they easily find food. But russians, on the contrary, prefer open places - fields and steppes. In the forest they group near open spaces.
If you want to know how else the brown hare differs from the white hare, then we have a whole article on this topic -.
Winter “strength test”
Mother Nature herself determines how and when to “test the strength” of her children. And all because winter and animals have had a complex relationship with each other since time immemorial. But time passed, eras replaced each other several times, and the evolution of the animal world dotted all the i's: many representatives of the fauna during this period adapted to survive in a harsh climate. For example, while some animals are molting, during which they shed their “summer” fur and clothing, other animals are preparing for the upcoming cold weather by stocking up on “food” and building themselves a shelter for the winter.
