What's killing these trees?

[jerrybob]

It's probably mice. I've seen them do that to some of our trees, which were bigger (fruit trees). They always seem to do it under the snow in the winter. Definitely not beavers, they usually leave conical chunks in the wood that are very distinctive (have them too). The way we dealt with it was to put fine mesh wire around the base of the trees and make sure it's pretty tight to the base so they cannot get in. I'm not sure that there's anyway to save a tree if the bark was stripped off all the way around.

I agree......mice under the snow looking for food.....seen it before. The wire will work...also have seen folks wrap base with burlap. Good luck:thumbsup:

 

[greasemonkeyok]

If it is not an animal chewing on the bark, check for a fungus that causes trees to sluff their bark.

From the University of Illinois: Austrian Pine ... A widely planted tree, but use is somewhat limited by its susceptibility to disease and insects.

A fungus came through Eastern Oklahoma six or seven years ago and killed many of the pines that had been thriving for decades.

 

[Timm250]

Rabbits did the same thing to 3 of my fruit trees 2 years ago. All 3 died.

 

[clemsonfor]

yea if there completely girdled there dead, maybe hang on for a bit but that's the end.

 

[Gary Fowler]

In your area, I would definitely say that you have a hungry porcupine. Nothing you can do with those trees but replant. Make a wire cage about 6" in diameter out of wire fabric (1/2" wire spacing) and take it about 18" high and you should be ok for future attacks. Depending on your tree size, you may have to make the cage large enough to encompass all the lower branches till the tree grows high enough to prune up a bit.

 

[von-mil]

Thanks for the replies, folks. After reading them and putting 2 and 2 together, I've come to the conclusion that the damage was done by rabbits. In the first 6 years that I lived here, I saw zero rabbits. Then, starting last year, numerous rabbits.

Mice and voles would have been my next best guess but I just can't imagine that much bark damage done by such little pests.

Live and learn. For future winters, I'll be wrapping or caging the trees. Guess I will be planting some more this spring if the snow ever melts. Snowed again overnight. Last year at this time I was already cutting grass.