Grow Your Own Magazine

Hello all,

I have a 4 year old silver birch that is generally in good health and has looked stronger this year than previously. When I went out this morning to look at it to my horror all the leaves have been stripped off and is now just branches and stems. At first naively I thought that it had dropped it's leaves ready for autumn well I was in shock but then I saw some nibble marks on what is the only bit of leaf left. What would do this does anyone know?

Could be grey squirrels, they like to strip trees normally oak of their bark which can kill them. We have a huge problem with them doing it to old, large trees as well as young

Thanks Miss C. The branches are only very thin so am surprised they could hold the weight of a squirrel, but there again it's happened since I moved the tree next to a fence!!! So...

moth caterpillars for a guess. Mine suffers as well but as it's 20 years old and about 30' high it has a lot more leaves.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Well I had looked after the tree really well this year, I can't blame anything wanting to eat it. It hasn't happened before so I'll have to keep an eye out next year to catch them in time!! Thanks for the suggestions