What is destroying my trees?

[agg221]

I planted some maiden fruit trees this winter (a mixture of cherry, plum and pear) but as soon as they make any growth it gets destroyed as per pictures. It's too high for rabbits, and I have tried a systemic insecticide. Any ideas what maybe causing it and how to stop it happening?

[tommer9]

Cant make out much from the pics Im afraid. If it looks like high up rabbit damage it may be Deer? At a guess?

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Frost?

[agg221]

Deer is possible as the ends look shredded, but i would be surprised if they could get in that precisely to eat the shoots. We have had some frost, but there wasn't any last night when one tree was attacked so I don't think it is that.

[Graham]

Are there any hares about? Looks the right height for them.

[Sam Thompson]

Hares or deer, without seeing the area its hard to tell

[Fungus]

Hares or deer, without seeing the area its hard to tell

 

Or an envious neighbour ?

[Pat Ferrett]

Monty the Muntjac Muntjac Deer

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Pictures 2 and 4 suggest that the little rascal has a pair of secateurs! Picture one looks like a fungal/bacterial attack on the leading shoot.

Basically, as tomer suggests, tis hard to make out from the pictures alone.

[Highland Forestry]

take a bucket of sand, spead around the trees in question and see what the footprints look like in the morning.

 

Looks like deer to me - probably Roe.