Hi, I have this Daphne Odora that is about 7 or 8 years old. It's currently in flower and seems to be very healthy except that bark on the upper side of many of the branches seem to have been eaten - I think this has occurred in very recently, probably in the last 30 days. I am afraid that this will kill the plant. I am also rather surprised as I thought that this plant was rather toxic. Does anyone know what might be causing this and what to do about it?
Rodents ? Deer mice or rats ? Just looking at what seems to be teeth marks on the last photo (I reattached here) I have outdoor camp cottage items with same marks and it looks similar (and I know I had been hosting rodents on that winter) Look for other signs around your house etc cuz if you have rodents - they are very destructive and expensive as I’m sure you know.
Welcome to the Forums PeterB. That's a beautiful daphne you have and I can understand why you're upset to see it damaged. I agree with Georgia Strait's suggestion that this is rodent damage. Time will tell whether enough bark is left on the branches for them to survive. It may help to cut them back if the leaves begin to wither. Since the culprits may still return, I'd throw some kind of netting over the shrub to discourage them . . . trouble is, they could probably chew through plastic netting but maybe it would slow them down. Unless you're philosophically opposed to it, I'd also put out mouse and rat traps. Wouldn't it be interesting to see what a night vision camera might reveal?
Thanks Georgia Strait and Margot. That's my opinion too - that something is chewing the bark. I think it would have to be something very lightweight as some of the affected branches are very small, so I imagine something smaller than a rat and there are no immediate signs of rats(?). I don't unfortunately have a night vision camera. Georgia Strait is your plant still thriving?
