North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>]

Alan,
what kind of plastic tray- like from a cafeteria?

> If it was just a couple inches of girdling just above the graft union it was
> almost certainly meadow voles.  You can wrap the trunks with hardware
> clothe, aluminum foil, plastic tree clothe and other products designed for
> the purpose but it's a good idea to trap out your voles in the fall or bait
> them out.  I trap them with mouse traps covered with a large plastic tray.
>
> Although your trees probably leafed out and looked fine at first they were
> probably girdled in the winter or very early spring.