The moment the temperatures drop and the first frost settles, rodents across your yard seem to hold an annual strategy meeting about which of your tree trunks they’re going to gnaw on next. It’s almost as if they wait all year for winter to arrive so they can treat your landscape like an all-you-can-eat bark buffet. While you’re inside sipping something warm and pretending everything outside is peacefully dormant, tiny teeth are sharpening with enthusiasm. And if they get their way, your trees could emerge from winter looking like a snack wrapper instead of a thriving part of your yard.
Fortunately, with the right techniques, tools, and timing, you can outsmart these winter freeloaders long before they leave bite marks behind.
