Squirrel Damage

Late-season defoliation of established deciduous trees is not usually of great concern. There is little impact on overall tree health because trees have produced and stored enough carbohydrates to support leaf production next spring. Indeed, we’re close to the time of the year when deciduous trees drop their leaves anyway.

Earlier this week, Dr. Mike Klahr (Extension Agent, Horticulture, Boone County Cooperative Extension) shared photographs sent to him by a homeowner of bark stripping damage caused by squirrels on a honeylocust in a landscape in Boone County, KY.  Thanks to Mike, he and I were able to visit the site yesterday so I could take photos to illustrate this report.  We found that all of the debarking damage seemed to be focused on a single tree; we could not find damage on other trees on the property as well as on trees in neighboring properties including on a large oak that had a squirrel leaf-...