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Post by NellyDee on Sept 9, 2015 13:47:49 GMT
Do pine martens eat vegetables? I am trying to find out what it is that is that has eaten the broccoli, curly kale and brussel sprouts but not touched the peas, mangetout or beans in my veg patch. The patch is fenced off against sheep and deer and the slugs only go for the leaves, but something has literally bitten the tops off the Brassicas. The broccoli had started to form it's heads - all bitten off and the top half of the Brussels and Kale have been bitten off. The only thing large enough to bite off and remove evidence is the pine martens, presuming they can climb the fence. Birds, possibly, but surely they would have left bits of the tops of the plants. Only one plant outwith the veg patch has had the same thing is a rose, all the rose buds were bitten off.
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Post by Tringa on Sept 9, 2015 17:41:27 GMT
I have not heard of pine martens eating vegetables. The diet list for them on the Mammal Society site includes fungi, but no vegetables.
You said the area is fenced off against sheep and deer. Is this a deer fence? An old Forestry Commission guide suggests a height of 1.2 to 1.5m for roe deer and 1.8 to 2.0m for reds.
Do rabbits visit your garden? However, from your description it sounds like a larger animal. Badgers eat a wide variety of food but again I've not heard of vegetables being on their list.
Sorry I can't give an answer; sounds like something for your trail camera to tackle.
Dave
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Post by shirl100 on Sept 9, 2015 18:14:14 GMT
Our Grey Squirrels eat the vegetables in our garden. The only mammal I have seen in the garden biting the flowers off their stems is a bank vole. I know Pine Martens diet can vary depending on what's available so anything is possible although I haven't heard of them eating vegetables. Fox is a possibility, we have normal stock fencing and a fox can quite easily sneak through one of the squares, with ease!
Shirl
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Post by NellyDee on Sept 10, 2015 9:31:40 GMT
The fencing is about 4ft high and close square wire. I did think maybe deer could jump the fence but the only tracks visible in the earth around the veg are small ones, and there was no flattened bits on the grassy area, the ground still being wet I would have expected to see signs if something had jumped the fence. I do have lots of bank voles, 2 red squirrels and pine martens. Think I am too late with the trail camera as the tops of all the veg are gone, leaving the slugs to do the rest of the damage. Still I will set one up just to see if I can track down what it was.
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Post by shirl100 on Sept 10, 2015 15:57:20 GMT
Deer could well be a possibility too, I see them regularly at Chatsworth Park jumping over fences higher than 4ft. It would be great to hear what the culprit is.
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