Dying Blue Spruce Globes- Help!!

[littlediesel]

I have about 25 blue spruce globes around my house.
One of them is about 80% dead and it appears that 2 other trees next to them are starting to die.

I have tried to analyze what maybe happening. It appears like the bark around the branches of the tree is just gone. It's like the bark was just washed away. The branches are almost a white color as a result of no bark.

I am concerned that this disease may spread to my other trees.
I do have several rabbits around and am wondering if the rabbits are causing the problem. It does not appear like the rabbits have ate the bark because the missing bark shows no signs of chewing by the rabbit.

Can anyone give me some advice!!! It would be kindly appreciated.

Jon

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

It is quite common for rodents, especially rabbits, to chew the bark off of young shrubs and trees. They don't seem to be interested in the wood, just the bark and fluid conducting tissue that lies just under the bark. Once they girddle the limb or trunk, evey thing above that point slowly dies.
The best you can do is to prevent any more damage. Some ways to discourage the little critters are: mothballs, dried blood, commercially prepared rodent repellent, animal friendly traps for relocating, a mean dog or cat, 22 cal. rifle.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Are the branches with missing bark the same as the ones that are dead?

If 80% of the tree is dead, are all the branches of that 80% all with debarked branches?

Maybe there is more than one problem.

Have you considered the possiblility of 2 or more factors?

 

[Dan F]

Can you post any pictures of what they look like, possibly with all three included in at least one picture, and a closer picture of the affected branches?

It could be any number of things- rabbits, mites, bagworms (though it is a little early for that much of the tree to be affected by bagworms and it doesn't sound a lot like them anyway), etc.

When did you first notice the symptoms?

The dead branches- are they evenly spaced on the tree (i.e. other live branches in between), or are they all in the same area (i.e. all on the bottom or top of the spruce)?


Dan