How to protect grapes in winter: get rid of mice. Mice, a serious problem for grapes

Kira Stoletova

The fight against rodents remains an urgent problem, since they can significantly harm the vineyards. If the mice gnaw on the grapes, it can kill them, so you need to know how to protect the tree.

Mechanical barriers

To protect the grapes from mice in winter, so that they do not eat the bark, you can use mechanical barriers. Use ordinary plastic wrap to wrap the vine. To improve protection, dig narrow trenches up to 80 cm wide and line the bottom with spruce needles, reeds, twigs or blackroot, the smell of which is unpleasant for rodents.

The vine can also be saved by planting dandelions around the perimeter of the vineyard.

Sometimes bottles are used for protection. A five liter plastic bottle with the neck cut off earlier is dug into the ground between the bushes vine... At the same time, when using a glass bottle, a little sunflower oil should be added to it.

An effective protection of the grape crop from stubborn rodents is to dig the vine under the ground. But if for some reason this cannot be done, cultures are wrapped up until winter.

Chemical substances

It is possible to protect grapes from mice chemical means, they will rid the vineyards of rodents and will not harm the bushes.

Poisons

Popular Brodifacum, Difenacin, OtRats, Rat Death, Pied Piper, Zoocoumarin and Flocumafen. Their main substance - rodenticide - has a significant effect on blood clotting in a rodent. Death occurs in a few days.

Mice eat these products for the reason that they contain flour, a variety of oils and flavors. The poisoned drug is placed directly under the vines to be eaten.

Repulsive scents

Mice are sensitive to odors. The following smells frighten off rodents: Vishnevsky ointment, "Zvezdochka", tar, liquid smoke, essential oils, kerosene and naphthalene. Sawdust or pieces of fabric are impregnated with these substances and placed near the vine. Lime with odorous inclusions is also a good protection of grapes from mice; bushes should be treated with it.

Although rodents do not tolerate the smell of black root, elderberry, mint, coriander, tansy, wild rosemary, wormwood, etc. are used as its analogues, planting them along the perimeter of the vineyards. But the smell of burnt rubber will help protect the grapes from mice in summer and winter, unlike plants that bloom only seasonally.

Use of predators

Cats and dogs destroy rodent nests not only in the process of hunting, but also, leaving excrement on the site, which can also have a deterrent effect on mice.

This is a good defense. But there are also disadvantages.

Rescuing a valuable vine, which is especially susceptible to pests during the cold season, from rodents is a task that many gardeners often face. Therefore, it is important to know how to protect grapes from mice in winter in order to achieve not only the safety of this crop, but also good yields.

Mounting a barrier from mice

To protect the grapes from pests, you can use a standard polyethylene-based film, which should be wrapped around the vine and thereby blocking access to the bark for mice.

Achieve more greater protection will allow the arrangement of narrow grooves no more than 70 - 80 cm wide with spruce needles or black root at the bottom around the planting. Such a smell will be unpleasant for mice, and trenches will make it difficult to approach the grapes. Some owners prefer to simply cover the vine with coniferous branches, but, according to many experienced summer residents, this method of protection is ineffective.

Another type of improvised mechanical barrier is rows of dandelions planted around the site. This unpretentious crop may well pass for food for rodents, which, by eating the plant, will not be able to get to the valuable vine.

Less humane, but also efficient method protection - digging in special traps in the form of plastic five-liter containers, which almost any family has on the farm. Rodents often fall into such a trap, set along the perimeter of fruit bushes. If such containers are not available, you can use a glass container, dug at a slight angle, into which you can first add a small amount vegetable oil... Adhesive traps do not lose their relevance.

The most effective protection of grapes from mice is to dig the vines under the ground, but if such a procedure cannot be performed for one reason or another, then it is recommended to carefully wrap the bushes even before the onset of cold weather. During this period, rodent nests, as a rule, are not yet equipped, and among valuable culture they will no longer be able to settle.

Types of shelter for grapes in winter

Among summer residents, the method of covering the vine with a polyethylene-based film, sprinkled with earth on several sides, is popular. The disadvantage of this protection option is the absence of snow cover, which is necessary to increase the level of frost resistance of the plant, as well as the possibility of a greenhouse effect.

So that condensation does not appear under the film, and the seedlings themselves are more hardy to low temperatures, after laying the vine on the ground, the culture should be painted with a special Bordeaux mixture, and small ventilation holes should be made in the shelter. You can also eliminate the greenhouse effect by using an opaque flooring.

Some summer residents prefer to use wavy or flat slate as the main protection. This protection option outperforms the film method due to the emerging ability to quickly cover and open the grapes, avoiding the appearance of the greenhouse effect. In addition, the lifespan of the slate is very long, while soft material falls into disrepair after several seasons of operation.

Each owner may have their own preferences, but in order to choose perfect option hiding grapes from rodents, you can try several methods and then use the most suitable one.

Poisonous substances as one of the methods of protection

It is possible to fight pests not only by installing mechanical barriers, but also by using special toxic baits, which are based on such poisons as difenacin, brodifacum or flocumafen.

After such a substance enters the body of a mouse, the animal is doomed to die from suffocation and poor blood clotting within a few days after intoxication. Moreover, the remaining rodents will not be able to feel the danger and will continue to feed on dangerous poisons.

The composition of poisonous baits often includes products loved by mice - flour, oil, etc. In the cold season, rodents are ready to eat any prey, and such delicacies are a real delicacy for them. For the best effect, it is recommended to spread toxic substances under the grape bushes. With the arrival of spring, the bait can be removed.

Smells that scare mice away from grapes

Another proven method for protecting grapes from mice in winter is the use of special deterrent fragrances, which by themselves will not protect the vine from pests, but together with other additives will provide an additional effect.

As sources of such odors, intolerable by rodents, kerosene, naphthalene, liquid smoke, Vishnevsky's ointment and other caustic compounds are used, with which sawdust or unnecessary rags are impregnated and laid near the bushes. One of the disadvantages of this method of protection is the need for frequent changes in the material that exudes aroma, since weathering takes place very quickly.

The farm often has old and unnecessary tires and other rubber objects, the burning of which will also achieve a deterrent effect.

The plant that has gained popularity in the fight against rodents is blackroot, the smell of which mice cannot tolerate. If there is no such grass on the site, you can use any other caustic culture (wormwood, wild rosemary, elderberry, etc.). You can drive out pests by planting any of these plants around the entire perimeter of the garden.

Will pets help you fight mice?

According to many gardeners, neither bait nor special barriers will help to save grapes, and pets will cope with this task best of all. It's no secret that cats and dogs often destroy mouse nests, in addition, the excrement of these animals, scattered over the area, can also have a deterrent effect.

But this method of protection has some obvious disadvantages:

forcibly making an animal guard the territory is rather problematic;
covering the vine during cold weather, you will need to equip the holes that cats love;
the pet will not be able to eat caught mice throughout the winter, no matter how trained it is.

Using one or another method of protecting grapes from mice, each owner can personally be convinced of its high or low efficiency. In order to exclude possible mistakes and to achieve the maximum safety of fruit grape bushes, you should pay attention to the following recommendations:

As a heater for vines, do not experienced gardeners straw is often used, and some are fallen leaves. In order to avoid damage to grapes, this should not be done categorically, since such materials, although they act as good protection from the cold, are the favorite habitat of mice, who arrange their homes in such places.
If pets are hunting rodents, then it is extremely important to make sure that there are no poisonous baits on the site. The dog or cat that eats the toxin-infected mouse usually dies too.
When picking up leaves and branches in autumn, do not leave such a garden trash Location on. Pests prefer to settle in such heaps, while feeding on valuable crops.
If grain treated with toxic substances is used as bait, it is important to protect poultry from the location of such poison. This can be achieved by decomposing toxic substances in boxes and pipes on the site.

Compliance with all the above recommendations, as well as strict adherence to all the instructions of experienced gardeners, will allow you to forget about the problem of mice on the site and achieve maximum protection of the valuable vine, which is prone to powerful attacks by rodents, especially in winter period.

Growing grapes requires care and protection from adverse weather conditions. Animals and small rodents can damage grapes, among which it is especially worth highlighting the smallest, but very dangerous for the vine rodents - mice.

Fighting them for many winegrowers, especially beginners, turns into a whole torture. But those who have extensive experience in growing and caring for this crop know how to protect grapes from mice in winter.

For this they use all the means at hand, as well as the means that can be purchased in specialized stores. How to use them will be described in the article.

Ways to combat small rodents

Mechanical method

Chemical methods

Fragrances

Natural ways

Prohibited methods

Ways to combat small rodents

To date, more experienced winegrowers identify several ways of dealing with mice at once. It:

mechanical;
chemical;
aromatic;
natural.

Each of them will help save the vineyard if done correctly. Let's consider each of the methods in more detail.

Mechanical method

Shelter of grapes for the winter refers to mechanical methods of protecting grapes. The main covering material is polyethylene film. You can use it to wrap a vine to block access to mice.

And in order to finally be calm about the fate of the future harvest and for the plant itself, it is necessary to dig in a bush with a shallow and narrow trench, which is covered with branches, pine needles or spruce, or reeds.

A remedy such as spruce branches and black root will help keep grapes from mice in winter. The grape bush should be covered with spruce branches mixed with this plant, which is considered harmful to mice.

You can also plant dandelions around the perimeter of the entire area where the grapes grow, which the mice will eat instead of bark.

Another of the mechanical methods is a plastic bottle dug in near the bush. Its volume must be at least five liters, the neck must be cut off. By the end of winter, at least one mouse will fall into such a trap.

If a plastic bottle no, it can be replaced with a glass, or, for example, a jar. Only the bottom of such containers must be covered with a small amount sunflower oil.

With a large selection mechanical methods protection, experienced growers still advise the vine to bury it under the ground to protect the grapes from rodents. If this is not possible, it is necessary to carefully wrap the vine or use other means of protection.

Chemical methods

The most common among those who are professional in growing grapes remain chemical methods rodent protection. This is due to the fact that it is they who help get rid of pests quickly and effortlessly.

Important! Chemicals, as a means of protection, must be used, strictly adhering to the instructions of the instructions that come with them.

The most common among grape growers are diphenacin, brodifaacoum and flocumarfen. Usually these powerful poisons are used to create poisoned bait.

The result is suffocation, then death. Even a small amount of the aforementioned substance can kill a rodent.

It should be mentioned that in addition to grains, mouse bait is prepared using delicious products - various vegetable oils, flour or flavorings.

All of the above components, treated with special chemicals, are placed under each grape bush. Such a procedure will not harm the plant, but it will destroy rodents that will approach the vineyard.

Fragrances

Protection of grapes from mice is also possible with the use of aromatic agents. Its effectiveness, of course, is much lower than that of the two already mentioned above. But if you combine it with them, the result will exceed all expectations.

Deterrent scents, in combination with some form of protection, can increase the likelihood of getting rid of rodents completely.

Deterrent fragrances include:

naphthalene;
kerosene;
essential oils;
star;
vishnevsky ointment;
liquid smoke;
tar.

Frightening odors keep sawdust and branches well, so the above-mentioned materials are impregnated with them and covered with vines. The smell must be constantly renewed, as in the open air they disappear very quickly.

Protects vines from rodents and any aroma mixed with lime. Although you should not count on durability in this case either.

It has been noticed that mice do not tolerate the smell of burnt rubber, felt and wool. Therefore, you can set fire to the above materials next to the grapes. But there are also disadvantages: the smell will not only scare away rodents, but will also be more unpleasant for those who are near the vineyards.

In order for aromas unpleasant to mice to last longer, the following plants should be planted around the perimeter of the vineyard: black root, elderberry, mint, wild rosemary, tansy, wormwood, coriander. You can also use a mixture of these plants.

Natural ways

When it comes to how to protect grapes from mice in winter, cats come to mind. And this is not in vain. After all, it is they who not only well destroy large and small rodents in private farms, but also do this in the fields and in gardens. And experienced gardeners confirm this fact, and in this case they mention not only cats, but even dogs.

If one of the above pets is located next to the rodents, then such a neighborhood is unlikely to be to their taste. After all, both cats and dogs ravage mouse settlements, crush and eat both adults and young animals. They are used as another rodent control agent.

If, for some reason, there is no cat on the site where the grapes are planted, then you can proceed as follows. Cat feces should be scattered along the vines, they can be borrowed from those gardeners who have a cat.

The smell of cat feces will be a kind of effective signal for rodents, which will warn them of danger.

This method has a lot of disadvantages in comparison with the methods discussed above. It:

The need to leave trays for cats if the vine is completely covered for the winter.
It will be necessary to train the animal to guard the vineyard, which is almost impossible.
If the vineyard is located in a remote area, the pet will need to be fed regularly, since it will not be full of mice alone.
It will be necessary to think small partsbefore choosing this method of protection.

Prohibited methods

All means for preserving the vine are good in their own way. But getting rid of rodents also implies some limitations that are possible in the process. For example, after it has been decided to process grapes for the winter, the latter should not be insulated with fallen leaves or straw.

This action, on the contrary, will attract more large quantity rodents, although the grapes themselves will warm for the winter, that is, they will protect it from severe frosts.

Important! If you have enumerated almost all the methods of protecting grapes, and the use of pets is chosen, you should remember that it is strictly forbidden to combine the use of toxic substances with its "services".

An animal can feast on an already poisoned mouse and, like the latter, die. Often, even a veterinarian will not be able to help in such cases.

Before planning how best to protect grapes from mice, you should get rid of the piles of garbage that are often collected in summer cottages. In such accumulations of leaves and debris, small rodents often arrange their wintering.

Poisoned grains should be positioned so that they are not gnawed by hungry birds, as well as those birds that are in the household.

If, nevertheless, the grower for some reason did not save the vine, and it was gnawed by the mice, those shoots on which the bark was damaged should be cut off. Pruning should be done at the very base. In their place, new shoots will grow in spring. Although you should not delude yourself, you should not wait for the harvest from them, it will be possible to collect at least the next year.

When thinking about how to protect grapes from mice in winter, it is worth considering each of the above methods of protection. This or that is effective in its own way, just as it has its drawbacks.

What exactly to choose is up to each winegrower individually. But whatever the choice, it is worth remembering that the use of each will require not only certain physical costs, but also material costs.

But all this will pay off with interest if the vine remains intact and gives a bountiful and tasty harvest of juicy berries with the arrival of heat. And this is the main thing for those who are engaged in the cultivation of grapes on the sites.

Similar materials

Today rodents have become a serious problem for the safety of grapes. During the winter period, mice intensively destroy not only the vines, but even the eyes of the plant. Poisoning rodents with chemicals can seriously harm the plant or even kill it, but this is only if used improperly.

Mechanical barriers to the preservation of grapes in winter

You can save this plant from mice using plastic wrap. It is necessary to wrap the vine with it, and then the mice cannot harm the plant. For complete reinsurance, it is recommended to dig a narrow and shallow trench, the bottom of which is covered with needles from spruce, reeds or branches. This barrier will keep the plant intact.

Many growers naively believe that covering the grapes with a film will protect the bushes from rodents!

There are several more less effective mechanical barriers to keeping grapes from rodents:

Spruce spruce branches. The grape bush is covered with spruce branches and black root (this plant is poisonous to mice and scares them off with its smell).

Dandelions. Some professional gardeners prefer to plant dandelions around the perimeter of the vineyard, which are edible for mice.
5 liter plastic bottle. Take a plastic bottle with a volume of 5 liters, cut off its neck, and then dig it in between the grape bushes. By spring, this bottle will definitely have at least one mouse.
A plastic bottle can be replaced with a glass container, but a little sunflower oil should be poured into the latter.

Despite such a large selection of mechanical protection against mice, it is still recommended to bury the vine under the ground in winter. If it does not work to bury the vine, then use its wrapping and other methods of protection, which are better to install late autumnwhen the first frosts appear.

The poor mouse wants to eat too. But let not our grapes! How to discourage a rodent?

Chemicals to protect against mice

Professional growers prefer exactly chemicals, and not mechanical baits, since these tools will get rid of rodents much faster. You just need to do everything right (according to the instructions) - they will not harm the plant.

Poisons

Brodifacoum, difenacin, and flocumafen are commonly used drugs. Most often, these poisons are used to create poisoned bait.

The substance rodenticide significantly affects blood clotting, therefore, after a few days, after eating this drug, the mouse begins to feel unwell, and within a week death occurs from bleeding and suffocation. This agent is life-threatening for mice, even in small quantities.

Mouse poisons are effective but not safe for animals and humans

It is worth noting that rodent baits contain not only poison, but also delicious products - flour, various oils and flavors, so mice eat this product with pleasure. In winter, poisoned products are placed under grape bushes - this not only attracts rodents, but also does not harm the plant.

Protecting grapes from mice with deterrent scents

In addition to all of the above methods of dealing with mice, one more can be distinguished - frightening aromas. This method not as effective as previous ones, but when used with other methods of protection can increase the chances of getting rid of rodents.

Folk remedies that repel mice

To prevent mice from gnawing grapes, use the following repelling odors:

kerosene;
naphthalene;
various essential oils;
vishnevsky's ointment and Zvezdochka;
tar;
liquid smoke.

Branches and sawdust are impregnated with these smells, and then they are laid near the grape bushes.

It is important to understand that on fresh air even such persistent aromas will quickly fade away, so it is necessary to constantly renew the smell.

In addition, it is possible to process grape bushes with lime mixed with any of the above odors, in which case the aroma will not last long either.

Among the odors unpleasant for mice, there is burnt rubber, wool or felt, so put tires or a rubber hose next to the grape bushes. If the hose or tires are burnt, then this smell will be unpleasant not only to rodents, but also to people, although the aroma persists for a longer time.

Do not forget about such a plant as blackroot or rat race. It has not only an unpleasant odor for mice, but can also cause serious poisoning in them, sometimes even death.

Blackroot grass has the popular name of the rat rat

It is worth noting that black root can be replaced with plants such as:

mint;
elder;
coriander;
sagebrush;
tansy;
wild rosemary.

Any of the above plants, if desired, a mixture of them, plant around the perimeter garden plot... The combination of all these smells will scare off mice.

Use of natural predators

Many gardeners claim that better way for rodent control in winter time years than cats and dogs is impossible to find. Pets quite often ruin rodent settlements, and the latter do not like such a neighborhood.

In the absence of a cat on the site, some gardeners collect feces from friends and scatter them along the vine bushes. The smell of this excrement is a danger signal for rodents, and they keep a considerable distance from this territory.

Cats - best remedy from mice

Despite the simplicity and low cost of this protection method, it also has a lot of certain disadvantages.

When hiding the vine, it is necessary to leave the holes for the cat.
The animal must be trained to guard the vineyard, and this is almost impossible to do.
If the vineyard is located on a summer cottage, it will be very difficult to feed the pet, since cats cannot eat only rodents.
Therefore, before choosing this method of protection against mice, you need to think over a lot of details.

What is forbidden to do in the process of getting rid of rodents

It is forbidden to insulate grapes with straw or fallen leaves. This shelter will really save the plant from frost, but it will attract a huge number of rodents that eat the vine, and will contribute to their reproduction.

If a cat lives on the territory of the garden plot, then the poisoned baits must be abandoned, because if the cat eats an already poisoned mouse, then it will also die. In most cases, you cannot save your pet.

Poisoned grains should not be scattered where there are pets and birds

Do not leave heaps of debris and leaves on the territory of the site, since this is the the best place for the wintering of rodents. And the gardener will not have time to look back, and the mice have already gnawed on the vine.

If poisoned grains are used to fight mice, then they must be placed so that poultry does not eat this grain.

Each of the methods of rodent control has its own positive and negative sidestherefore, most professional gardeners recommend using several methods at once to get rid of mice. It will be much more efficient.

It is important that the plant does not suffer during the fight against rodents, since the main task is its safety.

Damage to the bush by mice can lead to a decrease in yield or even to its death.

Do not forget about the health of pets and in no case combine such methods of fighting rodents as cats and poisoned baits.

It does not matter which method is chosen to fight the mice, it is necessary not to let the situation take its course, since in the winter period the mice are deprived of adequate nutrition and are quite capable of completely gnawing the vine.

If the grower did not prevent the appearance of mice in time, and they gnawed the grapes, then it is recommended to cut off the shoots on which the bark has been gnawed and the buds are eaten away, at their very base. This will give the opportunity to develop new shoots.

Protection of grapes in the box

It is imperative to understand that the appearance of young shoots is a matter of time and the grape harvest this year is not worth waiting for.