Rabbit Damage on Trees: What to Do?

Wisconsin winters are loooooong. As we move into late winter, small mammals that feed on plant materials struggle to find food and risk starvation. For this reason, they will sometimes opt to chew on bark of woody plants for much-needed sustenance. This includes young trees, thin-barked trees and woody plants and shrubs of all kinds. The most common offender of this kind of behavior are rabbits, especially so in urban environments where their populations can be incredibly high.

You can identify rabbit damage by where it’s found on woody species, within the lowest 1.5’ or so, often irregularly torn or visibly chewed. This kind of feeding causes girdling, as the plant’s vascular system is damaged beyond the point of functionality. Many young trees and shrubs die from this kind of damage every year, which is very preventable.

Creating a physical barrier to block access to tree and shrub stems is your best bet. The best way to accomplish this is to use wire caging for all susceptible species, focusing on young trees and shrubs and species with especially thin bark. Be sure to choose a cage that has small enough gaps that rabbits cannot fit their heads through the holes. Additionally, be sure the cage is secure in place, and cannot be lifted, pushed or otherwise moved out of the way. Using a wooden or metal stake to keep the cage in place is ideal. Caging your trees in early winter is the best time to prevent damage, but if you haven’t noticed any damage yet then you still have time. If you’re overwhelmed by rabbits, give Tree Health Management a call and we can take care of it for you.