Do rabbits girdle trees in the summer or just winter?
I’ve never had them girdle in the summer, but they’ll darn sure eat new growth. One year around June I pulled off the hardware cloth protectors around some young trees so I could pull weeds and wipe off lower buds on some fruit trees. I figured they’d be fine for a day or two. Nope. I did put the large cement wire deer cages back on because I know you can’t trust deer for even a day. Bunnies hopped right thru the 6"x6" mesh.
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Rabbits can squeeze through the 1x2" welded wire fencing. I’ve seen them do it. It was to strip all the regrowth and finish off a new plum tree. They didn’t bother the bark that time.
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Just picked up our new anti-rodent device named Hope this afternoon. A Black Brindle Dachshund of 3 months age.
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Young fruit tree bark is delicious any time of the year. But super delicious over winter.
Rabbits demolished a few young blueberry bushes in summer.
They have chewed the bark off of my fig and plum trees in the summer. They were small trees.
Rabbits stripped my apple tree barks during the winter time. But it ate my rose branches during growing season.
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I’ve planted fruit trees when I was out of tree guards, planning to pick some up the next day. Came back to several brand new trees chewed to the ground.
Like beavers, they will fall small trees to get to leaves and young growth that is above their reach.