Squirrel Damage - Help Please!

[RetiredCop]

Hello,

My name is Tom and I live in SE Indiana. I am new to this forum and I might be posting this question in the wrong place but here goes.

I have a large and beautifully shaped maple tree in my front lawn. I live in a residential development in the city. I started noticing bark "trimmings" on the ground early this Spring.

Following this discovery I started finding more and more small twigs lying on the ground beneath my tree. Within the last few weeks I have found that a number of limbs are apparently "dead" and bear no leaves at all.

Most of the limbs are among the closest to the ground and are about four (4) inches or less in diameter. All of the limbs have had the bark completely stripped off leaving them bare.

I was told by a neighbor that squirrels are doing this damage in an effort to feed on the sweet and soft underside of the bark.

Is this possible? If so, what can I do short of blasting the offending animals into dust as this option would not be looked upon favorably by my neighbors and, ultimately, law enforcement?

Thanks for ANY advice regarding this problem.

Respectfully,

Tom

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[Sagetown]

Squirrels feed on tree bark when there is nothing better for them to eat. A live trap set at the base of the tree should do the trick.

 

[RetiredCop]

Thanks for the swift reply. What would you suggest to use as bait for the trap(s)?

Thanks again!

Sent from my XT555C using Tapatalk 2

 

[avason]

Someone on here had a similar question a while back. This should give you some reading while people reply to your post.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/prevent-squirrel-damage.170755/

 

[B Harrison]

peanuts or shelled corn. Peanut butter, apple, same thing you bait a deer with. If there that hungry you will have no trouble.

 

[Sagetown]

Thanks for the swift reply. What would you suggest to use as bait for the trap(s)?

Thanks again!

Sent from my XT555C using Tapatalk 2

Bird Seed; mainly Black Oil Sunflower Seed; Pecans; Whole kernel feed corn; just to name a few.

 

[rullywowr]

12ga pump.

 

[Sagetown]

12ga pump.

I don't think he's reached that point of frustration at the moment, but if he has a tree full of them lil critters, that may be the only recourse if they wise up to the trap.

 

[old_soul]

hate to ruin your thread but that is a tulip poplar tree and not a maple.

it is normal for poplars to shed the lowest limbs due to lack of sunlight at the bottom of the tree

Those limbs are already dead, and the bark will peel, with or without help of Mr. squirrel

it is also normal for poplars to drop small dead limbs, constantly,


No offense to you but your neighbor is an idiot

 

[B Harrison]

I just don't see that the squirrel is causing that, maybe munching on it, but squirrel damage is going to be on newer limbs and on a smaller scale in more places on the tree. Even very small trees can withstand large amounts of animal damage, ie. Deer Horning breaks small trees in half and they come back, rabbits eat all the lower bark off of apple trees and they scar and survive.................