Quick verdict
A 20 foot roll of black plastic mesh 1.3 feet tall with a hundred 5.9 inch twist ties, cut to length and wrapped around any trunk as a cylinder to keep rabbits, voles, deer rub and string trimmers off the bark. A roll fits trunks the spiral guards cannot, from a sapling to a mature tree, and a loose cylinder lets air reach the bark where a tight wrap traps damp. Twenty feet does eight to ten young trees. The mesh is not a sunscald guard.
Strengths
- Cuts to fit any trunk diameter
- Loose cylinder lets air circulate around the bark
- Keeps rabbits, voles, deer rub and trimmers off
- Twenty feet guards eight to ten trees
- A hundred ties included
Weaknesses
- Open mesh does not block winter sunscald
- Only 1.3 feet tall; deer browse needs taller guards
- Ties must be loosened as the trunk grows
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
A Guard for Trunks of Any Size
Spiral guards fit saplings up to a couple of inches. Trees larger than that, and odd-shaped multi-stem trunks, want a guard cut to fit. Watayo’s roll is 20 feet of plastic mesh, 1.3 feet tall, with a hundred twist ties: cut a length, form a cylinder around the trunk with clearance and tie it. Rabbits, voles, deer rub and trimmer line meet the mesh instead of the bark.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how mesh trunk guards perform generally. We have not used this guard ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
Fitting
Measure the trunk, add several inches of clearance and cut the mesh. Form it into a cylinder around the trunk, overlap the ends and secure with twist ties at the top, middle and bottom. Push the base into the soil or mulch so voles cannot slip under. The cylinder should stand off the bark all round; that gap is what lets air circulate and keeps the bark dry.
What It Stops
Rabbits and voles chewing bark in winter, which girdles and kills young trees. Bucks rubbing antlers on the trunk in autumn. String trimmer line, the most common way homeowners kill their own trees. The mesh blocks all three while passing light and air.
What It Does Not
Deer browsing the top of a young tree reach over a 1.3 foot guard; that wants a tall tube or netting. Winter sunscald on thin bark passes through open mesh; a paper wrap inside the cylinder on the south side handles it.
Growth
Loosen the ties each spring and recut the cylinder larger as the trunk thickens. A guard left tight girdles the tree it was meant to protect. Remove it once bark is thick enough to resist chewing.
Who Should Buy It
- Owners of young trees of mixed sizes.
- Orchard planters guarding a row at once.
- Anyone with voles under the snow.
Common Owner Complaints
Deer reaching over and guards forgotten until tight. Add height for deer; loosen each spring.
Technique Tips
Cut the mesh with scissors on a bench rather than at the tree, and cut all the guards for a row at once. Tie with the twist ties on the side away from the path so the join is hidden and nothing snags a passer-by. Clear grass and mulch from inside the cylinder each spring so voles have no cover at the base, and check the bark under the guard for any sign of insects nesting.
Alternatives to Consider
Aukney spiral guards for saplings under 2 inches. Hardware cloth cylinders for maximum rodent protection. Tall plastic tree tubes for deer country.
Verdict
For trunks the spiral guards cannot fit, a roll of mesh cut to size is the answer, and this one guards a small orchard. Leave a gap, push the base in and loosen the ties each spring.
Full specifications
Watayo 20 x 1.3 Foot Plastic Mesh Tree Guard Trunk Protector Roll with 100 Twist Ties FAQs
Cut a length that circles the trunk with a few inches of clearance, form a cylinder, overlap the ends and twist tie them top, middle and bottom. Push the base an inch into the soil or mulch against voles.
Deer rubbing antlers on the trunk, yes. Deer browsing the top of a young tree need a guard several feet tall or netting.
Open mesh passes sun. For thin-barked young trees on the south side, add a paper wrap inside the mesh in winter.
Through the first few years until bark thickens. Loosen the ties each spring so the cylinder is never tight on the trunk.
