fruit tree damaged by animal - Ask Extension
My Asian Pear tree has taken a big hit. I am wondering what it could have been? I'll know better how to protect my fruit trees if I know what did th...
Knowledgebase
fruit tree damaged by animal #257138
Asked June 25, 2015, 5:15 PM EDT
My Asian Pear tree has taken a big hit. I am wondering what it could have been? I'll know better how to protect my fruit trees if I know what did this. The damage goes from the lowest branch up about 15 feet. Leaves were denuded, branches were knocked down & chewed and bark was gnawed upon.
Hancock County Maine
Expert Response
The most likely culprit is deer. They eat leaves and small, young branches, but can also damage older branches and trunks as they rub against the tree.
Deterring deer is not easy. There are a number of things you can try to keep them away from this tree (and your yard in general), but none of them are guaranteed to work. The following link is for a publication we use in North Carolina, but the information will be applicable in any location where deer are present: http://watauga.ces.ncsu.edu/files/library/95/deer%20factsheet.pdf
Deterring deer is not easy. There are a number of things you can try to keep them away from this tree (and your yard in general), but none of them are guaranteed to work. The following link is for a publication we use in North Carolina, but the information will be applicable in any location where deer are present: http://watauga.ces.ncsu.edu/files/library/95/deer%20factsheet.pdf
