# Strawberry Leaves Disappeared



## Mrrsteelers (Sep 21, 2008)

Last night, something ate all the large leaves on all my strawberrys. I have 22 first year plants that all had 5 or 6 nice sized leaves each yesterday. Today all the big leaves are totally gone. Not munched a little or filled with holes, the whole leaf is gone and they're not laying around on the ground or anywhere else. 

There are tracks that go up and down every row of my garden but nothing else was eaten. The tracks are larger then a house cat, but smaller then my large dogs. The tracks are like a dog or cat (paws) so all I know is it's not a deer or animal with hooves.

So any ideas on what could have ate so many leaves in 1 night?


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

On the rabbit board, it recently came up that domestic rabbits love strawberry leaves. 
If you have jack rabbits, they leave a good sized track. Usually you can tell by the "grouping" of the footmarks. But if the rabbit was walking along the rows, it's not as noticable.

A rabbit will go from plant to plant, and eat the entier leaf, leaving nothing behind. It's pretty interesting to watch one "slurp" up a leaf. They will bite it off at the stem, then start there and chew and suck in the leaf until there is nothing left. 

Cathy


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

groundhog


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## Mrrsteelers (Sep 21, 2008)

Thanks for the replys. I have not seen groundhogs around here, but we have rabbits. (wild) I want to burn the spot right next to my garden in the fall (for more garden area next year) So I've been stacking all the tree trimmings like 20 feet from the strawberrys. Prolly a perfect rabbit hotel, Doh. Also our back acher is unmowed grass and it runs along the back of my garden. More bunny heaven. 

Hmm now how to shoot them if they're attacking at night?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It will be easier to trap them.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

Rabbits around here tend to suffer from lead poisoning during the hour before sunset. Fence is the only practical method I have found.

Good luck.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

We have electric fencing around our garden areas, with chicken wire all the way to the ground, and a 7 foot fence around our Orchard. Two years ago, a buck ate my entire little strawberry bed. He suffered from lead poisoning! Now, I kept watering my plants and all recovered, no berries, but the following year, I had a BUNCH! Both of new strawberry plants & also strawberries  I like to feed wildlife, with what grows W I L D, not what I am growing for us to eat!!! We have wild blueberries, blackberries (low growing wonderful kind), huckleberries, salmon berries, and OR grape, etc... They can have all that, but they CAN'T have my strawberries every again!


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Rabbits and deer were eating mine,until I changed the location of the strawberry bed.


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## Mrrsteelers (Sep 21, 2008)

lorichristie said:


> We have electric fencing around our garden areas, with chicken wire all the way to the ground, and a 7 foot fence around our Orchard. Two years ago, a buck ate my entire little strawberry bed. He suffered from lead poisoning! Now, I kept watering my plants and all recovered, no berries, but the following year, I had a BUNCH! Both of new strawberry plants & also strawberries  I like to feed wildlife, with what grows W I L D, not what I am growing for us to eat!!! We have wild blueberries, blackberries (low growing wonderful kind), huckleberries, salmon berries, and OR grape, etc... They can have all that, but they CAN'T have my strawberries every again!


These are first year plants, so I wasn't expecting fruit until next year. They have small leaves and should be ok if there's no more attacks. I'll have to get some fence up.


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