What the hell happened to this tree?

Hartinez

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Sleep walking can be a problem, of course consult your physician, but drugs like Topiramate can help prevent sleep walking.
It’s been sometime since I’ve done it last. And in the past it was when I was in a band and smoked copious amounts of marijuana and drank a lot more beer. I haven’t necessarily quit either substance, but it’s not like when I was on the road, in my band days consumption levels that’s for sure! 😂
 

Carol 83

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And I always have had snakes and hawks in my yards all over Abq, but this is the first time a rodent has messed with my trees. Bastards!
The squirrels here reek havoc on my trees, especially in the fall. We had a hawk take up residence in a large oak tree. He just scared off all the rabbits and scared the shit out of our Pomeranian at the time.
 

ShadyStump

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Last summer I had a similar experience with an elm. The whole sapling had been completely defoliated, every leaf and stem down to the wood. Only I found a very fat caterpillar in the pot.
A grasshopper got trapped inside my greenhouse a couple weeks ago and did the same thing to most of my cuttings. Chewed all the way into the wood, and even a bit of bark and cambium on a couple. Didn't seem interested in the ficus leaves though. Those were untouched.
 

M. Frary

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You guys.
It's the V.C.
You must kill them all.
Don't play nice.
Don't get all tree hugger.
Kill 'em.
Traps,poison,predators or guns all work well.
I'm a gun/poison kind of guy.
Don't hesitate.
You'll regret it.
Believe me,I know all about the Varmint Cong.
 

Calnicky

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NO bird is building a nest at this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere. Nests are artificial wombs - only for care of eggs and very young birds - and only in the spring. It's likely a rodent if you don't have deer (or deer don't have access). Deer eat anything deciduous (except pieris) in the unfenced part of my yard. Even it it's a deer resistant plant, they'll at least "taste" it. Damn their hides anyway!!!
 

penumbra

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Spraying your trees with peppermint oil might help. It has helped keep the squirrels away from my treea at least and it is non-toxic to the tree or the squirrel. Rodents just dont like the smell
I started using peppermint oil this year and it is a great deterrent. I got mine from Amazon in a gallon and it is really strong.
I don't spray the trees but I spray around the trees. I sprayed it in my satsuki hoop house in Dec thru February and had no problem with mice and I sprayed it where I had squirrel activity and it keeps them away. Now I really have squirrels. My 8 acres is covered in oaks and hickory and you see dozens of squirrels every day. When we moved here 33 years ago I used to hunt a bit. I went out one day with my Ruger 10/22 and shot 13 squirrels in about an hour. They came back with a vengeance.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Mike is speaking from experience. I have had experience too. A collection of well developed trees devoured by VC, meaning any of rabbits, mice, squirrels, rats and especially voles. I have built wire mesh cages, especially for winter storage. I have also judiciously used rat poison. One should be cautious about poison, as wildlife beyond the intended target can be killed, but sometimes it is a good response. Wire mesh cages are ugly but an effective response.
 

ShadyStump

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Spraying your trees with peppermint oil might help. It has helped keep the squirrels away from my treea at least and it is non-toxic to the tree or the squirrel. Rodents just dont like the smell
I might have to look into this. Before much longer the squirrels will have more peanuts growing in my pots than trees.
I've heard that the super spicy chili powder or even mace - things along those lines - work, but I've tried them for deer in the past to little effect. Wasn't strong enough to stop them up on application, and got weaker by the hour as it sat. Who knows, though? Maybe squirrels are more sensitive to it.
 

Cajunrider

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I have had similar problems this year, never before.
I have always had rodents around. There has always been racoons.
I never seen rabbits in the neighborhood before, but noticed a bunny this year.

Kilw the wabbit!
Wabbits have killed many of my bald cypress seedlings.
 

ShadyStump

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I used dried chili pepper I bought on Amazon in a large bag, probably 5 lbs. It kept deer off the plants and repelled squirrels as well, but you need to use a lot and it is messy.
And in that quantity not viable in a space shared with children.
 

0soyoung

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Wabbits have killed many of my bald cypress seedlings.
I simply wanted to give a like, but couldn't decide if this

🤣 for wabbits

And this

:mad:for killing the seedlings

Would be understood (as opposed to 🤣 for killing and :mad: for using the word wabbit, say).


🤬😭. What else can I say?



🤣
 

Hartinez

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And in that quantity not viable in a space shared with children.
My son and his friend at about 4 years old, were playing on the front porch, throwing there action figures at our Chile ristras. We didn’t realize they were doing this till the ristra were decimated. They felt bad we were disappointed. Well it turned out the oils from the chiles got all over their action figures, then their hands, then their faces. They woke up that night with full on rashes and blisters all over their faces with their eyes about swollen shut. I Knew Chile could be an irritant but they got it real bad.
 
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