Bass,
I'm sorry for your mice problems. I hope your trees
recover quickly for you. Good Luck !!!

Thanks for your concerns.

No problem Bass - thanks!

MK

Sorry to hear about your discovery, this happen to me about 4-5 yrs ago, the little sob's were scattering about as I was unraveling the insulation!!!
Thank goodness, this particular variety grows 6' in one season so I was back in business is short order.

I think the tip above of scattering mulch on thick at the base is a good one, I did it two yrs in a row and no repeat problems. Sadly enough, last fall I didnt have the time dedicated to do a thorough job and suspect I might have trouble waiting on me when I go out shortly to unwrap. :(

Wish me some luck folks!

 

Here is a (somewhat) similar true story.

Bass, sorry to hear of your rodent problems and hope your plants recover in short order. Have they not bothered your greenhouse plants ? ---I wondered with it being warm in there. Anyway I'm glad to hear you're hanging in.

Bass, I'll post again when I recover from the heart attack you gave me!

noss

Hi Gorgi.  There may have been a mouse in the pillow, but a RAT stole the bike!

We are very fortunate to live among neighbors who would bring your bike back to you if they found it, not steal it.  That is a shame.

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

OK, I'm over it now.  Whew!  I'm so glad you were just venting to us.  I didn't want anything so bad to happen with you that you would really quit figs.

Would fine mesh hardware cloth pegged to the ground, with hardware cloth sides to surround the trees work?  You probably have too many trees for that, but maybe for special trees?  With mouse and rat poison and traps inside the cage?

How do mice get inside of the wrapping?  Do they gnaw their way through it until they get to the tree?

I'm so sorry about your trees and I hope they recover quickly.  If you put tree paint over the wounds, will that help them heal?

We all love you and hope your trees will heal,

noss

Thank you for your input.

if it were me, i would still wrap it in Parafilm to keep out pathogens, etc.

Well Bass; you gave us a start, that's for sure.  I could not imagine what must have happened!!!!  When things like that happen to me I pull and Elmer Fudd rage, but so far have not given up my toys. 

Now I am a little apprehensive about uncovering my outdoor trees, but I have to hold off for another two weeks at least.  I did take the top off two of my barrels and have a peek.  Still alive inside after minus fifteen weather here.  My potted figs are budding out in the garage and I am going to have to move them outdoors soon.

Has anyone ever heard of a bridge graft? Supposedly you can take branches from a fruit tree that has been girdled (complete bark removal around the tree) to use as a bridge above & below the damage.

The process invloves stab-grafting multiple pieces of viable branches into the good bark above the damage & then spanning the damaged area & grafting into the good wood below the damage on the tree. That is as long as there is still some vaible bark to be found below the girdled area.

Apparently the tree can be saved this way.

I saw some info & pics on this somewhere. I'll see if I can find that again.

Anyone ever tried this? 

I have heard of it, but not done it. Perfectly viable method of grafting. It isn't really any different than doing a skin graft on a person. You are just jump starting the process of growing new skin/bark.

Thanks for verifying Jon.  Seems like it would be a better alternative than waiting for your tree to re-grow from the roots or from cuttings.

I actually read about that the first time this happened to me but didn't try it, I may give it a try just for experimental purposes if I have the time this w/e and weather is good.

I've seen this done with stone fruit. Stone fruit tree can get diseases from wounds and will eventually die. This is also done with ornamental trees. With figs I don't think you'll need it. I had fig trees that were chewed up on one side and it eventually grew up and the wound closed up. This year I have a couple trees that were chewed up all around. 

Hey Bass,
  I caught a couple of mice gnawing at my potted fig trees in my garage last month.Must have gotten in when the door was up for a few seconds.Hard salami in a mouse trap did them dead.Sorry to hear about yours.

Phil from Ohio

Rabbits squeezed under some chicken wire and nearly girdled a loquat tree in my yard--they only missed a few narrow strips of bark in places they couldn't quite reach. It didn't even seem to phase the tree, so hopefully your chewed figs will do just fine as well.

I had a Peter's Honey that I bought after the rabbits had their way with it. The trunk was pretty badly chewed up, but it healed up and the top survived and grew. The tree suckered profusely below the damage.