Help Please! What happened to my trees?!??! (pics included)

[friskyweasel]

hello -

I am clueless when it comes to gardening, but I recently noticed that the bark is literally GONE in several places on 2 of my back yard trees.

One of them is a small mimosa tree, and I think the other is a Japanese Maple. The Japanese Maple especially makes me sick...I really love that tree! In both cases, it happened some time this winter...I'm not sure when - I just noticed it one day on one of the trees, and then shortly thereafter noticed that BOTH trees were affected. To me it literally looks like someone "scraped" the bark off with a knife, or even like it was possibly "chewed" off. Sounds crazy, but that's what it looks like to my untrained eye.

Can someone look at these pics and give me any ideas about what this might be? Are my trees goners? Can they be saved?

Any input would be appreciated (see pics attached).

tia

[pharmerphil]

Are the trees where they might be exposed to salt?
the first picture looks like mouse or vole damage

[friskyweasel]

hi pharmerphil and thanks for your help!

As far as I know there shouldn't be any salt in the area. However, field mice / voles are very common in this area. I have seen voles running up and down the wooded fence right next to that mimosa tree.

It's kind of hard to see in the pictures, but if you get right up close with the naked eye, the damage to the two trees looks almost exactly the same...which makes me suspect mice/voles on the little maple tree as well. I've never heard of them doing that? Chewing trees?

Do you think the smaller tree (the Japanese Maple) is beyond the point where it could be saved? There is a lot of bark missing, and I have no idea what to do for it to try to save it, if it's even possible at this point.

[pharmerphil]

hi pharmerphil and thanks for your help!

As far as I know there shouldn't be any salt in the area. However, field mice / voles are very common in this area. I have seen voles running up and down the wooded fence right next to that mimosa tree.

It's kind of hard to see in the pictures, but if you get right up close with the naked eye, the damage to the two trees looks almost exactly the same...which makes me suspect mice/voles on the little maple tree as well. I've never heard of them doing that? Chewing trees?

Do you think the smaller tree (the Japanese Maple) is beyond the point where it could be saved? There is a lot of bark missing, and I have no idea what to do for it to try to save it, if it's even possible at this point.

Most likely them pesky voles and or mice then, they can do this type of damage, and yes, they can climb...
I saw tunnels just under the snow once and they were going at a weeping willow that had been planted a couple years earlier, the ate everything above the snow for about 8 inches..
At first, I suspected rabbits, but they usually leave a tell tale "Bite" that severs the limb at a 45° angle

[pharmerphil]

Sorry, did not address your question of the future of your trees, my apologies..
They should be fine as long as the outer bark is the only thing stripped off

[friskyweasel]

Sorry, did not address your question of the future of your trees, my apologies..
They should be fine as long as the outer bark is the only thing stripped off

Thanks PharmerBill for all your helpful replies...i would have had no CLUE about the mice/voles thing otherwise.

After getting your input, i changed my google searches to include voles, mice, bark, etc..and turned up a really informative article

http://www.bergesonnursery.com/tips/detail.php?id=49

Unfortunately they are saying that if the bark has been eaten/stripped off in a full circle around the entire tree, that it will probably die. Mine is not only stripped off all the way around the tree, but that stripped section continues up the tree for almost a full foot : (. I put you at a bit of a disadvantage with those first couple of pics...they didn't really show just how badly the bark had been stripped all the way around (down near the base of the tree). I'm uploading a few more close-up pics with this post that show it more clearly.

I'm not holding out much hope for it, but I guess i'll know in another month or two : )

[pharmerphil]

I will view the pics/links you provided.
before reading the article, and after reading your reply...
If...the bark is gone n a full circle (girdled) chances are NOT good of survival...I'll check out your pics (Dial Up internet...takes me a bit) LOL

[pharmerphil]

Holy Cow Frisky Weasel...that's a lot of damage!
You don't have squirrels do You?? that's one hungry Mouse/vole..whatever!!:eek:
If you think it may be a squirrel, bust up some HOT peppers and either rub them on the tree, or mix with water, strain and spray on the trees

You do have a couple good things going for you though, the damage appears to be limited to the bark, which is the trees "protective" cover...
And like Our skin, it is renewed from within; unfortunately it keeps out moisture and prevents the tree from losing moisture. It also insulates the tree and keeps out bugs
the trees inner bark “phloem” feeds the rest of the tree, It dies after a bit and becomes part of the outer bark.

it appears that that only the bark is damaged.
I would NOT cover it in any way, let it try to heal itself, covering the area could make it worse..

[friskyweasel]

Holy Cow Frisky Weasel...that's a lot of damage!
You don't have squirrels do You??

Yeah it's pretty bad isn't it : (. OH yeah - we have squirrels around here for sure...I see them all the time in the back yard during the spring/summer especially. I'm going to mix up some of that pepper solution and spray on it. With spring just around the corner, I'm thinking it won't be too long before I have some idea as to whether it will make it or not. I'm assuming if I don't see it putting on any leaves/foilage, then it's probably lost.

[pharmerphil]

Good luck with the squirrels Frisky, they are the worst problem we have here in all seasons..spring/summer, they like the flower bulbs...fall/winter, they like to chew up the bird feeders... :(
Most tell me they are best beaten in a beer batter and fried ;)

[albert.macintosh]

Your trees are in some sort of disease.
I think you should show it to a gardener.