Fruit Trees on the Menu

Created on 5/29/2009

I used to have elk that came through my place each fall and ate my hops plant to the ground, and of course,I battled the resident deer that hated to be bothered when I chased them out of the garden mid-day, but there are always animals that surprise me. Sometimes the culprits are obvious, while other incidents become a game of “who ate this plant?”

Years ago we had a mystery at a friend’s place. Something went down the row and ate each germinating kernel of corn. One day it was coming up just fine, the next morning there was nothing left. At first we thought the culprit might was a raccoon, since they’re smart little guys, but there was no evidence of one. She set out a live trap, but didn’t have any volunteers… not even a skunk, which she commonly catches. She planted the corn again, and we discovered it was pheasants! When the corn started to sprout, they went down the rows and enjoyed an easy meal plucking the seedlings out one by one. I believe once she found out what was eating them, she placed floating row covers over the corn until it was too large for the pheasants’ liking.

I had an interesting call this week from a lady not far from here who is worried about the resident beaver eyeing her fruit trees. They had already chewed down several small larch trees, and since she’s in an area without many options for the wood-loving creatures, she’s concerned her orchard is next on the menu.

Capturing them can be tricky, particularly this time of year, and isn’t always the best option. I suggested she wrap the trees with chicken wire. She could cage each tree, but that is cumbersome when it comes to tending to them throughout the season. It should be just as effective to loosely wrap the trunks so they can’t gnaw on them.

Growing up in Ohio twenty-years ago, beavers weren’t an issue. We had muskrats in the pond, but that was about it. So I was surprised when I talked to one of my gardening mentors (who is 91 years old and going strong) this weekend about the beaver and orchard situation out here, and she told me they now have healthy populations that are causing a few problems. Near her, a beaver family built a dam in a stream that flooded several yards. Every day a neighborhood man pulled it apart, and every night they rebuilt it. They eventually had to remove the beavers.

What measures to take is always the challenge. Living with wildlife is on our shoulders. They’re just doing what they need to do to live, and at times, our habitat is so much more appealing. It doesn’t mean we have to open an all night diner for them, so employing a few non-lethal tactics is well within fair play especially when you can have the benefits of watching them.