How to save my citrus trees from rats?

vng

Please help me save my lime tree and mandarin tree. It appears that rats have been chewing the bark on the truck. What should I do ?

MitchellMc

Hi @vng,

I'm sorry to hear rats have been at your citrus. The best way to deter them is with a physical barrier. For singular trunk plants, it's quite easy to wrap a sheet of thin steel around them. I'd suggest you use Australian Handyman Supplies 1200 x 600 x 0.55mm Galvabond Mini Sheet, so it's 600mm high. This should be high enough to stop them from jumping up and over. You can secure the ends together with pop-rivets, or duct tape should do for a season or two. The twin trunk might be a bit more challenging to surround, and if you wish to keep the lower side trunk, you'd need to create a more significant barrier encompassing it.

You could also look at options to reduce the number of vermin in your yard.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

vng

Will the tree continue to grow or is it too late now ?

MitchellMc

The rats have had a serious go at removing that bark @vng. In some places, they've nearly ring barked the plant completely, which would stop all flow of photosynthetic products up and down the trunk. Your plant could likely survive to some extent, but it will never be as productive or healthy as a plant that hasn't suffered this damage.

Let me mention one of our experienced horticulturalists, @Noelle, to get her prognosis on your citrus.

Mitchell

Noelle

Hi @vng

In addit5ion to the barrier that MitchellMc has suggested, you could try to wrap the trunk /s of the mandarin with a wound dressing material, such as that used by arborists and orchardists to protect trunks damaged by mechanical means (such as mowers and whipper snippers). You may need to visit a specialist rural supplies company for this.

The other alternative is to paint the wounds with Steri-Prune Sealing Paint in the hope the wounds will seal over and sap flow is restored/improved in the affected trunks/branches.