North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jim Fruth <jfruth@uslink.net>]

    There is one very simple solution to raccoons eating bark, sapsuckers
drilling holes, cats clawing trunks, etc. etc.:  Tanglefoot® in the spray
can.  Tanglefoot that is applied with a putty knife applies too thickly and
tends to soften/weaken the bark but the spray-on variety works wonderfully.
Merely apply a light coat and the critters halt their damage quickly!  Works
for me.
-- 

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN
www.bberryfarm.com
Jams, Jellies and Syrups

His major problem has been with raccoons.  Once the pears get old
enough to bear the bark must get sweeter, or something, because
that's when they start to attack.  One hungry raccoon can strip all
the bark off a mature, bearing tree in a short period of time.  His
seckel is 85% dead, with a thin strip of bark along the side
supporting a couple of upper branches.

Ginda