bark strippers

[esliz]

about a month ago, we noticed little strips of green bark in the driveway/flowerbed under a large deciduous tree. the strips are about 1/2 - 1-1/2 in. long and 1/8 - 1/4 inch wide. the top branches are stripped bare (and dying) and now lower branches have what appear to be fresh patches of stripped areas.

any idea what kind of a critter we're up against, and how to get rid of it?

john & liz huffine
el segundo, california

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Squirels or birds do it frequently