what critter cuts off 1' pine limbs?

17 years ago

Who dun it?????? and why?

I just discovered severe damage to my P.flexis glauca 'Pendula' that I have had for 5+ years and had a length of at least 7'. Five or six limbs varying from 1/2" to 1" up to 2" long, and from up to 18" offr the ground, cut off and left on the ground. The 1/2" cuts are completely clean and the larger ones are clean for about 3/4" and then slightly torn. Some branches are cut in half. All of the limbs appear to have been left. There are some tooth marks on the bark of the cut off branches but no real knawing. This tree is right next to some cornus....the type grown for stem color....there are a few stems cut and not completely severed....most at about 12" height. These plants have been in place for years. They are right next to my blueberriers which have no damage. I do recall that last fall something ripped some limbs off the blueberry closest to this damage. The damage was a little higher up and similar to what I'm seeing on the cornus. I assumed it was a deer sampling the blueberries last year.....end that was odd because these are 30 year old plants not previously damaged.

I thought about mountain beaver because I actually saw one of those near our barn about 2 months ago but I would have expected them to drag away the limbs. Also thought of porcupines which we see very occasionaly but seem to be stymied by our field fence.

Any ideas?????? thanks, JudyWWW

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Comments (12)

JudyWWW
Original Author
17 years ago
OOps.....that's a typo....the limbs are up to 1" in diameter....jwww
jean001
17 years ago
Around here, it's squirrels.
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JudyWWW
Original Author
17 years ago
Jean.....I don't think so because we have teh same squirrel population we've had for years. I'm really out in the country on 50+ acres and the pine cones and walnuts have always been enough for the squirrels. Besides the cuts on
1/2+" limbs were clean...no gnawing. Also noticed that there were a few small branches damaged on a couple of the blueberry bushes. jwww
hemnancy
17 years ago
I had similar damage on a Loropetallum, and a Sea berry, branches broken off and scattered on the ground but not many leaves eaten. One showed some major bark scraped off like deer do when scraping velvet off antlers, so I have to go with deer damage for mine. Arggh. My sympathies.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
17 years ago
I'd put money on the mountain beaver, destructive little varmints! Perhaps it was disturbed in its foraging not to haul away its bounty, but there are few critters than will gnaw through a branch that stout.
mdvaden_of_oregon
17 years ago
I've seen squirrel damage oak twigs, but it's usually up in the tree a ways.
jean001
17 years ago
Well, here, the squirrels do it, but not to the same degree each year.

Three years ago the clipped branch ends from our huge spruce were so numerous it looked like someone mulched under the tree. This year, only a few "clippings."
botann
17 years ago
My guess is a Mountain Beaver also. I deal with them all the time. The cuts won't be quit perpendicular with the branch and there will be a small leading edge of bark on the branch. They will leave 4 to 6" of branch on the tree to help them in climbing it. Look for their holes nearby. Sometimes the entrance is stuffed with Sword fern fronds or small tree branches. They usually don't climb more than 6' up in the small trees they like which are usually Doug firs, Hemlocks, and Vine Maples. They will eat Rhododendron branches as well. I haven't seen them eat Pines, but that doesn't mean they don't. I don't have many Pines.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
17 years ago
IME, mountain beavers will eat pretty much anything - I've seen them devour most of a Japanese maple, smokebush, evergreen magnolia and ceanothus as well as chomp on all manner of conifers. Apparently they have a very undiscerning palate!
plantknitter
17 years ago
I've had Mountian Beaver leave a stash and come back for them later.
Some items may be for food and some for nesting I think.
JudyWWW
Original Author
17 years ago
So this could mean that one or more have taken up residence nearby. How far will they travel from their burrows? Any ideas about how to get rid of them??? I have an Austrailian Cattle Dog that does a good job with rabbits. jwww
plantknitter
17 years ago
According to Dave Pehling, WSU, they have a half acre territory.

Here is a link that might be useful: wsu link

what critter cuts off 1' pine limbs?

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JudyWWW
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what critter cuts off 1' pine limbs?

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