This is a new pear which was just planted this spring. It was growing fairly well, but over the last few weeks something or someone has been eating the growing tips off the shoots. They eat the tip and back an inch or two. I don’t see any of the tips lying on the ground, so whomever is eating them or flying/crawling off with them.
I don’t have any idea of who or what could be doing this, and was hoping someone here might be able to identify a culprit and suggest a cure/prevention
(Sorry but my camera can’t focus in close, hopefully you can see the chewed off end of the shoot thru the fuzz)
.
I guess there are no DEER in your part of the county?
If there are, it’s them.
1 Like
The camera did focus on the pawpaw leaf (?) seen at the top of the photo a bit left of center. With multiple attempts you might get a photo of the subject. Try some from about 3 feet away and then crop the photo if necessary.
Agreed, can’t really see anything in the pic but the description sure sounds like deer.
1 Like
I’d agree, it sounds like deer. But I have a 5’ high, 2x4 wire horse fence around the orchard/garden topped by 3 strands of electric up to 7’ or so. Also I don’t see much other damage like this anywhere in there (a bit on a one honeyberry). One other hint may be that one of the scions I grafted out there was starting to grow, small shoots coming out of the parafilm; and someone ate off the growing buds down to the wood of the scion; ever neatly just the green buds. Perhaps not the same critter, but don’t think a deer could be that precise in its eating.
I was thinking a large grasshopper might have done in the scion buds, but would it eat of the new growth on the pear too (like maybe the last inch or so)? Also it seems odd, but only this pear and one honeyberry seem to have this damage.
1 Like
