# Safe Branches/Trees



## zany_toon (Apr 3, 2010)

So I am about to give the lilac tree in our back garden a hair cut when I randomly thought "I wonder if this is safe for the mice?" We've lived in this house for 15 years and never used any weedkiller near it although I don't know if the previous tenant did. Would the lilac tree's branches be okay for the mice to play on and chew? I also have a rather large honeysuckle thing and a wild rose bush (which I would de-thorn first) and was wondering if these would be safe as well. I hope so because it would give the mice something different to play with whilst also meaning that the branches don't end up in the local landfill!!If they are I can freeze them or bake them in the oven first to ensure there are no nasty creepy crawlies. Any comments welcome!! Thank you!!!


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

The only trees I know for sure are safe for gnawing are fruit trees (apple, pear, etc). Rose bushes are also safe (they're distantly related to apples and other pomes).

Freezing doesn't kill all parasites, but baking at 200F/94C+ for an hour will.

My neighbors' field has a bunch of apple trees in it, and they let me pick an armful of branches every couple of weeks. If your mice are anything like mine, they won't play on the branches as much as they will slowly EAT them.


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## zany_toon (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks Jack!! I shall raid the rose bushes instead of the lilac tree then :lol: I have noticed that my girls love to tear branches apart but for some reason my boys don't. They love to run along them and sleep on them (or try and get them into their wheels :?) so I thought with all the ones in the garden just now needing chopped I was as well doing something useful with them! I have some rope so I'm intending to make some climbing toys with the branches. Should hopefully keep them entertained for a while anyway :lol:


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

You're very welcome!

The best place for toxicity information I think is probably parrot groups. Parrot owners deal with the whole "which branches are good for my animals" thing quite a lot, I'd imagine.


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## zany_toon (Apr 3, 2010)

Jack Garcia said:


> You're very welcome!
> 
> The best place for toxicity information I think is probably parrot groups. Parrot owners deal with the whole "which branches are good for my animals" thing quite a lot, I'd imagine.


Hmm. I didn't think of that at all! I shall give that a bash too  (Thanks again!)


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

not all fruit trees are safe,cherry isn't.Don't know about the two mentioned but willow and hazel are safe and they enjoy dandelions.


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## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

SarahC said:


> they enjoy dandelions.


Are dandelion leaves AND flowers safe?
I have a tremendous amount in my garden I could be putting to good use!


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

I hadn't thought of cherry!

Dandelions are safe for mice or people. They taste rather bitter to me, but the mice seem to love them. If you have little kids around, they make a really fun time out of picking them for the mice. I had some around a couple months ago and I gave them a bowl and let them play "harvest time" where they went around the yard and picked dandelions for the mice. 

Then I let them feed them to the mice and they got a real kick out of that.


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## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

Mmmm, not sure dandelions appeal to my taste buds  but I gave leaves to the mice this afternoon and they loved em!!


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