porcupine damage to trees

If porcupines are causing problems for your trees, you can protect them by placing a 60 – 75 cm metal band around each tree at a height of about 1 m off the ground. If the damage isn’t severe enough to kill the tree, it will be more susceptible to insects and disease. A. Porcupines usually give themselves away first by their damage—clipped twigs, gnaw marks on trees or damage to tools and other wood or leather objects is noticed and cursed. They obtain nutrients primarily from: 1) sap flow caused by the damage, 2) the insects found under bark and in hollow trunks they have drilled out impressively symmetrical portals into, and 3) fruits and nuts. they will gnaw on any wood that comes their way and destroy it, and the damage they cause on wooden structures most times cannot be fixed. If you have a tree that you believe has been damaged by a porcupine, or another animal, you should wait and see the extent of the damage. This can stimulate herbaceous understory vegetation which benefits different species than those that prefer a closed-canopy forest. We explain specific techniques for protecting trees and property from porcupine damage. To protect specific (large) trees, place a 30 inch wide band of aluminum flashing around the trunk to prohibit porcupines from accessing the trunk at ground level. All of these things have the potential to kill a tree because they expose the tree to insects, birds, disease and decay. Using an electric fence to protect trees … Trees with thin, smooth bark tend to be preferred, but any tree could potentially be at risk. Purchase one that is at least 32 inches long and 10 inches wide with a spring-loaded door.Â. Sometimes they are not noticed until a dog or livestock show up with quills in their nose and on their face. Contrary to some wildlife folklore, porcupines cannot “shoot” quills, rather their barbed quills penetrate and stick upon contact with any animal or object that it finds threatening. Extension in your Community > Whether is a building, wooden boat, horse saddles, trees, etc. 2) groundhog - We often forget that groundhogs can climb trees, and like tree squirrels will gnaw and strip bark like you are experiencing. Extension > Stearns > In addition to plant material, porcupines crave salt and are attracted to objects that have salty human sweat on them, such as ax handles, boat oars, etc. While porcupine can damage healthy trees, the biggest source tree damage in Washington State, especially in young trees, comes from black bears. Porcupines occasionally cause damage in sugar maple stands, apple orchards, and cultivated crops. They are not affiliated with these companies and make no endorsements.Â. Damage. Their habitats extend from alpine forest ecosystems in Alaska to cottonwood stands throughout the West to Mexico, and across the northern U.S. from California to Maine. While porcupines may be a nuisance to homeowners with ornamental or fruit trees, their presence in the forest improves the function and diversity of these ecosystems. Porcupines eat herbaceous plants, inner tree bark, twigs, and leaves (when present). Porcupines and squirrels damage trees by eating the bark. Properties with trees, ornamental plants and gardens may also be attractive to hungry porcupines. Trees will die if the damage is severe enough. While my brother and I were expanding and refurbishing the family hunting cabin, the damage by porcupines mounted to hundreds of dollars in material and dozens of hours of labor. There are products you can apply to damaged trees that seal the outer bark to prevent further damage and infection. Often they will feed at or near dusk and early in the mornings. Depending on the season, porcupines eat a wide range of vegetation including bark, needles, leaves and the reproductive and readily eaten vegetative parts of woody plants, including nuts, seeds, fruits, and buds (these are considered mast). Removing any attractants in your yard will help prevent nuisance porcupine occurrenceÂ. The name “porcupine” is very appropriate, coming as it does from the Latin porcus, meaning swine, and spina, meaning thorn. The porcupine is North America’s second largest rodent; only the beaver is bigger. Damaged tree bark is not just an aesthetic problem but it can be a pretty serious health issue for your tree. If this becomes a problem you may want to provide an alternate salt source such as a salt block to keep them from damaging structures. Most animal control officers suggest moving porcupines 10-20 miles away in a wooded area that is not inhabited by humans. On smaller trees you can cover the trunk so they can't chew the bark or climb the tree. In addition, trees that are killed and felled due to porcupine damage can provide shelter and nest sites for other wildlife. At this time we do not have a clear reason for this increase. 1. Porcupines expose tree roots, girdle tree trunks, and clip branches off trees with their chewing. Porcupines are herbivores, and their love for plants is exceptional. In the interior West, including Utah, cottonwoods, willows, pines, Douglas-firs, spruces, and true firs are preferred by porcupines, especially for their bark.  However, they will eat just about any kind of vegetation.Â. When threatened, porcupines will expel a pungent olfactory odor that alerts predators that they should retreat. B-1073.19 pg. They weigh 9 to 15 pounds, with bigger, older adults weighing up to 20 pounds. If a porcupine chews off an isolated section on a tree’s trunk, the bark will, in time, close over the wound. All of these things have the potential to kill a tree because they expose the tree to insects, birds, disease and decay. Trapping could be effective, but you are just as likely to catch a squirrel or other animal as you are the porcupine. Interestingly, the quills of the North American porcupine are medicated with a topical antibiotic – a strategy that evolved to protect against “self-quilling”. Grooved tooth marks approximately 5 mm wide are characteristic of porcupine damage. Landscape damage caused by these animals can cost thousands of dollars to repair. Trees between 15 and 25 years — especially Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western red cedar … Many people are often surprised to find out that removing tree bark can actually harm a tree. Porcupines prefer the young bark, leaves, and terminal twigs commonly found high up in the crown of a mature tree, but will strip bark anywhere on a tree’s trunk or branches. The size of the tooth marks left in the wood is the key. If you are finding damage on your property, you will need to act. Many people consider porcupines to be a nuisance because of the damage they cause to trees and wooden structures. Trees will die if the damage is severe enough. Protection of trees through regular fencing, low strung electrical fencing, and trapping are the most efficient methods for reducing damage.Â. Gloves should be worn when handling the trap to keep human scent to a minimum and to protect your skin when transporting the caught porcupines. Baby porcupines are born with soft quills and teeth which enable them to begin eating vegetation within the first week of life. To a porcupine, your rose garden, berry patch, or vegetable garden, is simply irresistible. In winter, remember to take snow height into consideration. If a porcupine den has been located, a trap can be placed very close to the opening and baited with nutritionally dense and salty foods such as cut fruit, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, or nuts. They are vegetarians. If unable to chew, the animal’s teeth would grow too long to be able to consume food and the porcupine would eventually starve to death. To get to it they have to remove the bark all the way down to the cambium layer of the tree, which is where the wood begins. Porcupines eat herbaceous plants, inner tree bark, twigs, and leaves (when present). Porcupine and squirrels feed on the bark of trees, stripping it from branches and main stems. Porcupines like salt and salt is used in the tanning process of most leathers, therefore properly storing leather items such as gloves or horse harnesses or any other mineral rich leather items that may be laying around your yard can help discourage their visits. Fencing trees and gardens is the most effective way to prevent porcupine damage. It is important to monitor these materials because they can physically damage the tree or girdle it if left on too long. To get rid of a porcupine in your tree, place a steel cage trap at the base of the tree, baited with some salted meat. Its skull is heavily constructed; the small, rounded head has a blunt muzz… Often they will feed at or near dusk and early in the mornings. One product however, Thiram is registered as a repellent for rodents and rabbits, and has incidentally repelled porcupines, as well. However, as people relocate to areas known as the wildland-urban interface or WUI, they may encounter trees that have been damaged byÂ. Install 18 to 24 inch high woven wire fencing around gardens, orchards or specific areas of your property that require protection. How to get rid of porcupines. This fact sheet describes the basic ecology and behavior of the porcupine and identifies ways to determine if porcupines are damaging trees on your property. Clipped twigs on fresh snow, tracks, and gnawings on trees are useful means of damage identification (Fig. Utah is centrally located in porcupine territory, but in Utah they are usually found in the woods away from people. Vegetables; Another thing they love to eat is vegetables. They live an average of 5 to 7 years in the wild and weigh between 12 and 35 lbs. The following information is included for homeowners interested in trapping nuisance porcupines themselves. If bark is stripped all the way in to the cambium then that part of the tree will die, though small wounds may eventually heal by new tissue growing from the edges of the wound. Exclusion. Adult porcupines are about 30 inches in length, including a 6- to 10-inch tail. Porcupines in Utah will damage fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and some agronomic crops like alfalfa, and grain if they are present. Porcupines are not the only animal that damage trees in the winter months. 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