Question:

Do plastic trunk protectors help protect trees from deer damage?

Answer:

Yes, but not year-round. Any sort of plastic tree protector is only supposed to be on the tree for the winter. These are not supposed to be left on year-round as heat and humidity can get trapped and cause problems or decay for the tree. Also, as the tree grows, the tube or plastic protector can interfere with the trunk’s growth, if left on permanently. You can place it on the tree in the fall to help protect during the rut season – when males are rubbing their antlers on trees and make sure to remove it in early spring.

A better solution, especially in areas where there is heavy deer pressure, is to exclude deer from the tree by putting up a fence around each tree, such as a rigid wire fence several feet out from the trunk and around the entire tree. Putting up a few posts with rigid wire wrapped around the posts and secured will help keep the deer (and other wildlife) away from the tree year-round. The wire or fence material needs to have small enough holes, so other critters (like rabbits) can’t get it and also chew on the bark.

Repellants can be somewhat helpful, but you need to keep reapplying and rotate through different products. Deer can become habituated to these. Also, other scare or harassment devices can also be used but their effectiveness is variable. These are devices like motion activated sprinklers, but they also need to be moved around and not just kept in the same place because deer will get used to them.

Learn more:

The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM) provides science-based information on how to manage wildlife damage and resolve human-wildlife conflicts responsibly.

https://icwdm.org/…/deer-damage-prevention-and-control…

Have a question of your own?

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You can reach Julie, your local horticulture educator by calling 262-741-4958, Text 262-374-4191, email julie.hill@wisc.edu or use our online form: go.wisc.edu/PlantQ