Once in the fall, my neighbors asked me why we did not take care to protect our garden from rabbits and mice in the winter: tie the trunks with spruce branches and old tights, fence the trees with a palisade of planks, tamp the snow around the plantings…
Meanwhile, all these issues can be solved quite easily. I want to share with you an effective way to protect trees and shrubs from rodents.
Candidate of Biological Sciences, Head of the Department of Food Plants of the Central Botanical Garden and is engaged in the introduction and selection of a number of species of fruit and berry plants. Despite the very strong employment, he finds time to work and at his own expense. And since he is an observant person, he noticed that rodents do not touch plants treated with copper sulfate.
Copper sulfate is known to be a 5-water sulfate of 2-valent copper, CuSO4x5H2O, and is a hygroscopic blue powder or crystals. For sale for agricultural purposes in small personal subsidiary farms comes in a package of 50-100 g (1.8-3.5 oz) or in vials. It has a toxic effect when it gets on the mucous membranes or gets inside. The lethal dose of 5% solution is 30-50 ml, but copper sulfate in solution or powder is able to enter the body through the skin with reverse absorption of sweat. Therefore, all work with copper sulfate should be carried out with caution. People are used to this drug, but it is not harmless if handled carelessly.
We won, the mouse is running!
It is known that copper sulfate is part of the Bordeaux liquid. This candidate of biological sciences decided to conduct an experiment, and as soon as the ground began to freeze and the plants went into a state of rest, he treated all his trees and shrubs with a freshly prepared 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.
In the spring, he found all his plantings intact. The rodents did not touch any trees or bushes, although they did a good job already. This method is good not only because it does not waste time collecting branches, tying trees and trampling snow, but also because the rodents have left its site.
Treatment of the garden with copper vitriol gives another effect: the larvae and pupae of wintering insect pests, spores of fungi that cause various diseases are destroyed. If you have time, use this experience this year. Well, if it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t hurt to take a useful experience on a note for the future.
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