Howdy Ags,

I've recently planted a Live Oak in the yard that serves as a living memorial. I've noticed broken / damaged branches and I suspect its squirrels as I've put up a fence to keep deer out.

The tree is ~13 feet tall transplanted from a 15gal tub. The tree is secluded from other trees but has fencing on two sides and the house on the other. Its at least 10 feet away from the fence on one side, and 13 or so feet away from the house and fence on the other sides, if that matters.


Any recommendations on what to do to keep these pests off of the tree?

In before the typical OB solution of eradication of the specie. You sure it's squirrels? We have all sizes of oaks, hickory, and walnut trees and lots of squirrels. Never seen them breaking branches though.
If it's an isolated tree you can get a cone device that prevents them and other rodents from climbing or I have wrapped our fruit tree trunks with a short piece of aluminum that they can't get across to climb.

How tall is the fencing and how far up the tree is the damage happening? My guess would be a buck hopping the fence and using the tree to rub the velvet off his antlers.

txags92 said:

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How tall is the fencing and how far up the tree is the damage happening? My guess would be a buck hopping the fence and using the tree to rub the velvet off his antlers.

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6 feet up roughly is where we notice damaged branches (the trunk low down seems fine). The fencing on 2 sides is 7 feet tall and not see through. I put up 6 foot Tpost / hardware mesh stuff on the remaining side, It seems to be keeping them out but I suppose they could be getting in unnoticed.

Pookers said:

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txags92 said:

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How tall is the fencing and how far up the tree is the damage happening? My guess would be a buck hopping the fence and using the tree to rub the velvet off his antlers.

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6 feet up roughly is where we notice damaged branches (the trunk low down seems fine). The fencing on 2 sides is 7 feet tall and not see through. I put up 6 foot Tpost / hardware mesh stuff on the remaining side, It seems to be keeping them out but I suppose they could be getting in unnoticed.

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That would be a bit high for all but the most motivated deer. Other possibility might be cats trying to use the tree to get on and off the roof if it is close enough to the house. I would suggest wrapping the trunk with a section of tin to keep whatever it is from being able to climb it. Something like this wrapped around the trunk with the top about 4-5' up and suspended from a rope or wire will keep them from being able to climb it:

Master Flow 6 in. x 2 ft. Round Metal Duct Pipe BCP6X24 - The Home Depot

Gunny456 said:

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In before the typical OB solution of eradication of the specie. You sure it's squirrels? We have all sizes of oaks, hickory, and walnut trees and lots of squirrels. Never seen them breaking branches though.
If it's an isolated tree you can get a cone device that prevents them and other rodents from climbing or I have wrapped our fruit tree trunks with a short piece of aluminum that they can't get across to climb.

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Curious about this cone. Have a link?

As far as the aluminum, I have 3 pecan trees that I have tried to keep them out of. The only way for them to get into any of them is to go up the trunk. And then once there, they could jump between them (or at least I think they could - have not personally seen them do it). Anyway, I tried the aluminum sheet thing - 4+ feet up each truck. Watched through my kitchen window as one of those vermin went right up as if it weren't even there. May as well have been bare trunk.

With respect to oaks, I have heard (and read) that people don't like pecans because they are 'trashy' (limbs/twigs falling plus the pecan/shucks). This is all true. But having 3 pecans and 2 fully mature live oaks, I think my oaks are as bad at dropping small limbs/twigs as my pecans - maybe even worse. And don't get me started on the acorns. But regardless, I do not believe the limbs/twigs are due to squirrels as much as wind. I say this because I find them fallen off both types of trees mainly after breezy/windy days and not so much calm days. And squirrels have been hammering my pecans for a good month plus now.

If you find ANYTHING reasonable to keep squirrels out of your trees PLEASE post it. Only thing I know that helps is to bait them with something else to distract them (bird seed, peanuts, etc)

GOOD LUCK.

Weird on the aluminum wrap. As I said I have used them on our fruit trees and worked great. I've watched them slip and fall when they tried to climb.
My dad used a cone out of galvanized tin. He made them himself but my neighbor in SA found them on line.
They are made for post and poles that hold bird feeders but he bought two to put together for a larger diameter tree. He cut the hole for his tree with tin snips to make it fit.

How long ago was the tree planted? I get countless calls on this the first growing season after trees are planted.

two1993ags said:

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How long ago was the tree planted? I get countless calls on this the first growing season after trees are planted.

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Planted last month.

Look closely at point where twigs are broken. Sounds an awful lot like damage from transport from nursery to planting site. Squirrels typically will not break twigs. They will strip bark from twigs and branches near point of attachment and in spring will chew the very ends of elm tree twigs-the last 2-3" of the twig-but those are very clean cuts not breaks. I'm leaning towards transport and planting handling damage. Typically takes several weeks for the breaks to desiccate and turn brown.

Gunny456 said:

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Weird on the aluminum wrap. As I said I have used them on our fruit trees and worked great. I've watched them slip and fall when they tried to climb.

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It was a couple of years ago now and the bottom of my jaw is still bruised from it hitting the floor when I saw it. He just went right up it. Maybe it was a supersquirrel that is no longer around now and I should try it again - I don't know.

Maybe he got some of that sticky stuff our receivers used to use and put it on his paws!

I think I saw something about putting 2x4s at a 45 degree angle to a trunk, with a rat trap chained to them, for catching rats - might have been in LA though - not sure it's a legal way to trap tree rats in TX.