Miscellaneous Pests - Pests of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Flowers - page 435

MAMMALS

Various mammals cause damage to cultivated plants,
particularly in rural or semi-rural areas. The following
are examples of those most frequently reported
affecting ornamentals in gardens and nurseries.

netting or other guards. Rabbits scrabbling on the
ground are also capable of causing considerable damage
to lawns and other grassland areas.

Mice, rats and voles
Various small mammals may prove troublesome in
gardens and nurseries, some species commonly entering
outbuildings during the winter to feed on stored bulbs,
corms and seeds. Small mammals may also eat bulbs
and corms already in the ground, such damage being
caused most often by long-tailed field mice. Voles,
especially short-tailed voles, frequently gnaw the bark
of young trees and shrubs; they also attack herbaceous
ornamentals such as Chrysanthemum . Growth of
affected plants is often checked and, if the tissue is
completely ringed, branches or whole plants may be
killed. Voles also ascend young ornamental trees and
shrubs to feed on the buds, young shoots and berries.

Badgers
Although rarely a significant problem, badgers
sometimes enter private gardens. They then cause
damage to lawns and cultivated plants, usually by
scrabbling into the ground in search of food. During the
winter they often unearth bulbs and corms, leaving
behind tell-tale scrapings and piles of soil.

Cats and dogs
Domestic cats are often troublesome in gardens when
they dig into seedbeds, the fine soil making attractive
toilet areas. They also cause damage by scratching the
bark of trees and shrubs. Dogs are also renowned for
digging in gardens. However, they cause most trouble
by urinating on low-lying plants and killing the foliage,
affected tissue turning brown. Such damage is often
severe on dwarf conifers growing alongside paths, and
sometimes results in the death of plants. Urinating dogs,
especially bitches, also cause brown patches on lawns.

Moles
Moles can be a problem in lawns, parks and sports
grounds as they burrow through the soil in search of
food (earthworms, slugs and other soil invertebrates).
Infested areas become disfigured by the presence on the
surface of numerous mole-hills. In addition, surface soil
sometimes collapses into the subterranean workings,
and turf over shallow tunnels may be forced upwards in
ridges. Moles are also a nuisance in flower borders and
seedbeds, as they accidentally disturb plant roots and
cause established plants and seedlings to wilt and die.

Deer
In some areas ornamental trees and shrubs, especially
rose ( Rosa ) bushes, may be damaged by deer. Attacks
usually take place from March to May, when the
animals browse on the young leaves and new shoots.
Deer cannot bite cleanly through plant material, as they
possess teeth in the lower jaw only; damaged shoots and
stems, therefore, are left with a distinctly ragged edge
on one side where the partly severed tissue has been
torn away. Damage to ornamentals is most often caused
by fallow deer, Reeves' muntjac and roe deer.

Squirrels
Grey squirrels are notorious pests of woodland trees and
shrubs, and are also of some importance on ornamentals
in gardens and nurseries. During the winter they
strip the bark from the shoots and branches of trees
such as ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), sycamore ( Acer
pseudoplatanus ) and spruce ( Picea ), and damage
caused is often extensive. Grey squirrels also dig up
bulbs of plants such as Crocus and tulip ( Tulipa ). In
spring, young shoots, buds and flowers of trees and
shrubs are attacked, and the animals show a particular
liking for ornamentals such as flowering currant
( Ribes sanguineum ) and saucer magnolia ( Magnolia

Hares and rabbits
Hares and rabbits attack the foliage and stems of various
ornamental plants, often causing considerable damage
in inadequately protected rural gardens and nurseries.
Also, particularly during hard winters when food
supplies are scarce, they often gnaw the bark of young
trees. In severe cases, stems or trunks may be
completely ringed and the plants killed. Fencing off
gardens or plantations and the use of protective wire or
plastic sleeves around the bases of vulnerable trees will
reduce the likelihood of damage. However, in deep
snowfall the animals may gain access to normally
secure areas and feed on bark above the level of any

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soulangeana ).