Pesky squirrels!

We are blaming the squirrels for chewing away at this little acer. Anyone got an idea as to how we can prevent further damage? Is there a squirrel deterrent that we can maybe paint on without affecting the tree? We have thought about trying plastic piping around the trunk and branches, but would welcome other ideas. It's only a small tree, so very vulnerable.

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How strange. Maybe clear tree/sapling wrap.. so it's not as noticeable?
You can buy tree guards from any GC, they wrap around vulnerable trees. Easy to put on and although it won't stop a determined squirrel, it will discourage them.