Question From: Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, United States
Q: I have a mature pitch pine in my yard on Martha's Vineyard island off the Mass. coast. An arborist recently pruned some accumulated dead branches. In the last three weeks I've found numerous, maybe up to 50 branch tips- i.e., 1-3" stem tips with clusters of green needles- fallen on the ground, as if something has gnawed off those tips. There is some whitish ? on the fallen pieces, but nothing that seems alive, or moving. I know that evergreen needles brown and die, to be replaced with new needles, but this seems to be premature leaf tip drop. Any ideas?
A: Squirrels. You may want to provide them alternative lunch, such as dried corn or sun flower seeds along with some water. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy
