Damaged dripline

At Rosewood, we maintain irrigation systems as well as designing and installing them.  It’s therefore unsurprising that sometimes clients call us out to repair damaged dripline.   The pipes for this kind of irrigation lie on the surface.  They drip water out through tiny holes into the surrounding soil, close to the plants that need the water.  However, because the dripline is usually right on the surface, it’s more likely to suffer damage.  Accidental tearing of the pipe by ill-advised use of garden forks and spades; digging or chewing by foxes – we’ve seen it all!  But today we want to tell you about rodent damage and how we repair it.

Rodents like to gnaw.  Some might be considered cute and cuddly (rabbits and squirrels), others less so (rats and mice), but they all like to gnaw.  And just because your dripline doesn’t look or smell like food, doesn’t keep it safe.  We still sometimes find that the little fountain the client has noticed is coming from a hole cause by those rodent front teeth.  Take a look at the first of the four pictures above: there are two little fountains, easy to see.  Pictures two and three show the holes which are allowing the water to escape where it shouldn’t.  Obvious teethmarks…

Easy to fix

The beauty of dripline however, is that, being on the surface, it’s easy to fix any problems.  There’s no digging involved.  We simply cut out the damaged portion of the dripline and replace it with a fresh piece, using connectors to join it in.  The fourth picture shows the finished repair – you would never know there had been a problem.  You can rely on Rosewood to come out and sort things out as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Give us a call on 01727 811448 if you need our help!

One extra tip: if you have a problem with rodents or other unwanted animals in your garden, stop using bonemeal fertiliser, which can attract them.  Click here to read about bonemeal attracting vermin, as well as other issues that might make you wish to avoid it.