What's nibbling my plum tree shoots & peach leaves? (forum)

au0rey starts with ...
I am just wondering if any of you can advise me on what animal could be nibbling off the shoots of my plum tree and leaves of my peach tree.

I have done everything to deter possums from jumping or climb onto the trees but I still see plum shoots and peach leaves strewn on the lawn every morning.

Is there some animal that actually flies onto these trees and do this damage? I could only think of bats but I have not seen one before.

Thanks!
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Time: 7th December 2011 10:07am

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amanda says...
Locusts? (grasshoppers) have u seen any around au0rey?

Time: 7th December 2011 11:00am

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au0rey says...
No. :( It happens at night. And I have blocked all access to possums. I dont believe they can reach my trees anymore (unless they can fly) but still get shoots nibbled off.

Time: 7th December 2011 11:05am

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john says...
Rats.

Time: 7th December 2011 3:56pm

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Jason says...
Doesn't look enough damage for a possum, they are happy to strip my plum and apricots bare. Must be some good tasting leaves. I'd be betting on something much smaller than a possum, rats sounds good

Time: 7th December 2011 4:39pm

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au0rey says...
Rats? Climb all the way up my 5m tall plum tree to nibble off young shoots? I have wrapped plastic sheets 1m high around the tree, doubt anything could climb the trunk.

I have tomatoes and sweet corns and strawberries untouched, why would they go for plum shoots so high up when there is yummy food on the ground.

Gardening is good for fighting dementia man, with all these problems coming up my brain cannot stop working. :(

Time: 8th December 2011 9:56pm

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john says...
Are there broken branches ,twigs. Anything like a possum will break branches. Also look for poo on the ground which can be identified. I've used movement detectors that trigger an alarm when really desperate.

Time: 9th December 2011 7:05am

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Jantina says...
Hahaha auOdrey very funny.

Time: 9th December 2011 10:06am

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Jantina says...
Just had a thought auOrey, google sugar gliders, a tiny little possum that can glide (not actually fly)quite a long way and could do the damage you are getting. We have them here, they are unbelievably cute.

Time: 9th December 2011 10:17am

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john says...
Sugar gliders are quite vocal ;you'll hear them if they're around. I had native rats strip a grumichama and make a nest with the leaves inside the back of an old refrigerator.

Time: 9th December 2011 10:37am

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Jantina says...
Hubby, who has a lot of experience with native animals says they are not necessarily noisy, only if they are disturbed or fighting. I'm not saying it's definitely sugar gliders, only a thought.

Time: 9th December 2011 11:05am

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au0rey says...
Thanks for the ideas! I have been only living in Australia for close to 5 years and started gardening 2-3 years ago so still dont know many of the native animals.

The plum tree is outside my son's bedroom so I dont know if they are noisy, but we get broken shoots (twig with young shoots) on the ground. Funny thing is there are a few plums and most left untouched. I am just wondering if this kind of damage can cause my plum tree not to be productive cos it has only produced 10 or so plums annually since we moved in. Before that the whole tree was full of plums! Or maybe my plum tree doesnt like me!?

John, I did find possum droppings one morning but since then I have removed as many low branches near the fence and wrapped up the trunk with plastic and wire gauze to deter them. I havent seen possum dropping since then.

I highly suspect something that flies onto the tree. I will check up on sugar gliders.


Time: 9th December 2011 2:14pm

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au0rey says...
I have looked up sugar gliders...wow they are surely cute.

While doing so I also tried to look up how far possums can jump...havent had a conclusion yet but found this very very hilarious article written, if you guys are interested :

http://anpsa.org.au/APOL2007/may07-1.html

Time: 9th December 2011 3:33pm

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Jason says...
haha, I enjoyed reading that, I've only recently got possums in my garden but my theory is to leave the possums that are here around to keep more possums arriving. I'm lucky to have enough trees and fruit to feed a few possums without noticing it much

Time: 9th December 2011 7:17pm

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au0rey says...
Oh they are cute alright....but I just don't have enough to share with it/them. :)

Time: 9th December 2011 9:08pm

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au0rey says...
I camped in our back garden two days ago, miserable sleeping on the concrete ground in sleeping bag in a tent. But it was worth it cos I have some conclusion to my problems.

The culprits...are still the possums! Though we have set up things to deter them, they obviously still jump from neighbour's tree to my poor plum tree. I need to sacrifice another large branch and that probably should work. Witnessed the possum jump myself.

And another came via neighbour's ornamental tree to my shed, walk on my fence and nibbled my choko vine shoots and strawberry flowers. Is a bush tail

Pays to camp out and to find out more about their behavior. You tube.com was good source of info.

Planning to try thorny devils.

Time: 14th December 2011 3:21pm

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Peter says...
Amazing effort! It fascinates me...


Time: 14th December 2011 3:39pm

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au0rey says...
Ok, update...the thorny devils we installed did not work. The possums walked on them with ease. Fortunately we can return them to the nursery and get a refund :

http://ourgreenhaven.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-2011-summer-update.html

And the furry visitors (actually I think they are Mr & Mrs Possum rather than baby and mum) come almost every night. And they are so so so cute!!!! I am not upset with them anymore. They have changed my heart :). I realised they do not know they are eating my stuff, just trying to get a meal. But I wont hand feed them or they may come living up in my roof. I will share the shoots of the choko vine and cucumber vines with them. They are helping to prune the extra growth on the fence anyway.

The lesson learnt : Do not plant trees that will grow to become too close to the roof as this makes it easy access for them to jump onto (unfortunately the plum and olive trees were already here and established when we moved in). So we have to cut off all branches too close to the roof/house. And use plastic sheet and stake it around the trunk to stop them from climbing or jumping down. It works if the height is reasonable.

Netting trees with one layer of net does not work, they can still pluck fruits and leave unripe ones tangling in the net, which we dont want.

They also feed on bird seeds so I have to keep the tray every evening to stop feeding them.
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Time: 31st December 2011 1:14pm

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Phil@Tyalgum says...
I found this stuff works well in keeping away possums and rats. My passionfruit vines were being chewed but as soon as I sprayed them they were left alone.
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Time: 31st December 2011 5:09pm

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au0rey says...
Thanks Phil! I wil have a look on this product.

Time: 1st January 2012 12:11am

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Dickie says...
I've just planted a Satsuma plum tree and noticed the leaves were being eaten. It must be happening at night. Should I spray with white oil or other. The plant is very young. The insect must be very small as the holes and leaf edges are not large.

Time: 25th September 2012 9:10am

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