Anti tree climbing

[northj]

I have a large tree in my front garden popular with the local kids for climbing. To do so means they tread all over my plants and damage the fence by the tree. To deter them, can you get anti climbing paint for the tree or is there an alternative method (barb wire last resort)

[doristwonk]

Get a large dog and fasten it to a steel rope loop fastened to the base of the tree with "just enough" leash to allow it access to legs.

[wildwood]

In some countries they use a piece of sheet-metal which is bend around the circumference of powerpoles to prevent animals from climbing the poles. If you know anyone in the metal trade, perhaps that may be an option, say 4ft high. You can get powdercoated colours so it would not be an eyesore.
Ring your local council and ask for help, sometimes they do surprise you. With all these obscure by-laws, you may even be liable if one of the kids falls out of your tree.

[KEJ2000]

Do they stand on the fence to get onto the tree? If yes, maybe take that fence down? Or turn it into an electrified fence, ha ha! If they start climbing the tree from the ground, perhaps plant dense flowers all around the base of the tree trunk, extending outwards for a radius of 3 feet in all directions, so that they'd essentially have to crush all your flowers with their feet in order to get near the tree-- I'm sure they wouldn't dare do that!!! Is there a fence all around your property? If there is, you could keep a padlock on the fence gate, and place a "No trespassing" sign on the fence, or even right on the tree trunk. If you don't have a fence around your property, you might even consider getting one, although that is very expensive, I know. Do these kids' parents know what the kids are up to? Could you have a woman-to-woman, or man-to-man, chat with them and ask them to tell their kids to stop it? ...I love the attack dog idea!

[KEJ2000]

P.S.: Or, you could relocate that fence farther away from the tree by a few feet, so that they can no longer use the fence to get at the tree.

[quattro]

You can get anti vandal paint and paint it round the tree trunk or the fence it's like coloured grease but it does'nt set and makes a mess if you get it on your clothes. there are a few plants you could try as a long term solution pyracantha is very thorny and is an evergreen rambling roses just ramble everywhere holly and mahonia will grow in a dry spot or why not cut all the lower branches off the tree so that it is harder for them to climb up it?

[answerbok]

maybe put a sign up; "Keep off this tree, it is now booby trapped with something that has bad nasty germs; [it really is.) A bad luck curse has been put on this tree as well, (also true.) so CONTINUE AT YOUR PERIL - you have been warned"

[stephen.hove]

string up one of the kids and leave it dangling from a branch as a warning to others

[bernardo]

Cut down the tree.

[Janetex]

You should put up cute signs - 1. Climb This Tree, 2. Please donn't trample the fairies' trees, 3. Please don't damage the fence. Then sit down and read The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde.

[Janetex]

I have even gone to the trouble of looking it up on the net for you - www.planetmonk.

[Janetex]

oops - that's www.planetmonk.com/wilde/happyprince/selfishgiant.html and I hope you enjoy it.