The Tropical Fruit Forum

Citrus => Citrus General Discussion => Topic started by: TooFarNorth on May 21, 2019, 01:31:48 PM

Title: What is eating my trees?
Post by: TooFarNorth on May 21, 2019, 01:31:48 PM
I found this damage today while out looking at my trees.  This is a Flame grapefruit tree, surrounded by several other trees.  Last week I found the same type of damage to a whole table full of Meyer lemon trees I have in pots.  There are no leaves on the ground, and no stems left behind. Whatever it is does not seem to be interested in the fruit.   I looked for deer tracks, and there were none.  What kind of critter is eating my trees?


(https://i.postimg.cc/ct0qPHYm/0521191317.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ct0qPHYm)



(https://i.postimg.cc/vxrnHP4y/0521191317a.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vxrnHP4y)



TFN
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: Laaz on May 21, 2019, 01:40:52 PM
Probably deer.
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: TooFarNorth on May 21, 2019, 01:46:03 PM
The ground is soft, and I saw no deer tracks.  Plus it would have had to pass several other trees to get to this one.  Maybe it just likes the taste of Flame Grapefruit leaves.


TFN
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: Laaz on May 21, 2019, 02:48:51 PM
Yep, Lemon & grapefruit leaves have a nice scent. Sometimes it is very difficult to see deer tracks.
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: TooFarNorth on May 21, 2019, 02:55:28 PM
I went back and looked very, very, very closely, and I believe I did see a track or two.  Thanks Laaz.

TFN
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: Laaz on May 21, 2019, 03:14:08 PM
Yep & it could be a small juvenile deer as well. Hell, the deer down here are all tiny compared to the deer up north.
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: Citradia on May 22, 2019, 08:26:32 PM
I have problems with rats and/or mice taking small branches and leaves off my evergreen trees and shrubs in the winter and making nests out of the debris in wood pile on porch and under shed.
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: brian on May 22, 2019, 08:29:06 PM
The deer here have never touched my container trees.  They eat everything else, but the citrus smell must be foreign and scary to them.  I hope they never get a taste for it
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: TooFarNorth on May 25, 2019, 12:31:01 PM
Well, I finally found the culprit.  I found a nest with fresh grapefruit leaves, and even some small fruit in it.  I pulled back a piece of tin and my Patterdale, Lilly, did not hesitate...  Dead rat.  It was a BIIIGGG one too.  Now let's hope no more around here have a taste for citrus.

TFN
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: Laaz on May 25, 2019, 12:39:23 PM
Lmfao! Pictures or it didn't happen!
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: Bomand on May 25, 2019, 12:47:19 PM
Never been done in by a rat. Gotta see it.
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: TooFarNorth on May 25, 2019, 09:31:58 PM
OK, here are some pictures of what's left of the rat after Lilly got thru with it.  It's a little dried up from being in the sun all day.  All I saw when I moved that piece of tin back was a rat, and a brown blur.  Dang she's fast.


(https://i.postimg.cc/2qL7ym6s/0525192114-HDR.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2qL7ym6s)


(https://i.postimg.cc/gxQBNg6P/0525192114a-HDR.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gxQBNg6P)

I had already torn up the nest before finding the rat.

TFN
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: Laaz on May 26, 2019, 07:13:39 AM
Damn! I've never heard of rats eating citrus plants before. Where there's one, there's always more. Bad thing is if you have pets you don't want to use poison.
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: TooFarNorth on May 26, 2019, 11:38:32 AM
I'm not sure what it was doing with the leaves and stems, as they were next to the nest and not in it.  Maybe it wanted to keep the house smelling nice.  Who knows?

TFN
Title: Re: What is eating my trees?
Post by: vall on May 28, 2019, 02:53:19 PM
Something removed all the leaves from my small grapefruit tree two years ago, overnight.  I don't have deer so I assumed it was a rabbit - but now I wonder if it was a rat.