How to Keep Mice Out of Orange Trees

Citrus-loving rodents, like mice and rats, are often hard to detect during their destructive nocturnal activities, but they are plain to see during daylight hours. If you've discovered evidence of mice in your orange trees, like hollowed out fruits and mice droppings, you have reason for concern. Besides stealing fruit, mice can leave behind diseases that make humans sick. Any rodent solution must also protect the tree. For the best results, choose a multi-pronged attack to rid your tree of pesky mice.

Pruning shears
Hand saw
Rake
Metal piece
Nails
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Prune orange trees during the spring and summer season, trimming up long branches that may touch the ground or buildings. Trim branches that touch fences. This will stop mice from traveling too freely. Thin out dense areas of the tree using pruning shears. Removing extraneous branches will make traveling on the tree less comfortable for mice who prefer to stay hidden.
- 2
  Rake up debris from the base of the tree. Keep the tree trunk as bare as possible to deter rodents. Allow predators a chance to catch mice by removing any shrubbery from the base of the tree.
- 3
  Wrap a piece of 18- to 24-inch wide metal around the lower trunk of the tree to stop mice from climbing your orange tree. Make the metal piece as long as it is wide. Tap it into place with nails.
- 4
  Place mouse traps around and in the tree to catch mice before dusk. Remove the traps during the day to avoid catching other animals, like birds. Dispose of trapped mice using gloved hands.

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