What's shredding my cherry tree leaves??

[bario1]

I noticed the top leaves of my cherry tree are being shredded by something - can't see any critters, so I'm thinking pigeons, but I've never noticed them doing this before?

[nickdub]

Caterpillars by the look of it - they usually go for the young leaves, but it is very early in the season, so I might be wrong. No need to worry, as you look to have plenty of healthy leaves left on the tree.

[bario1]

Now that the flowers have died, I guess I could just put butterfly netting over the tree to stop birds nicking the fruit?

[nickdub]

Now that the flowers have died, I guess I could just put butterfly netting over the tree to stop birds nicking the fruit?

Yep, any sort of netting will probably do the trick - I find squirrels are a problem though, so you might want to keep an eye open for them - If you trying to grow the tree on watch out for the netting catching the ends og the new shoots as its easy to snap them off.

[ameno]

Since it's on the tips, I would say probably birds.
Sparrows where shredding the newly emerged shoots tips on my plum trees a few weeks ago, as they had aphids and the sparrows were after those.

[bario1]

I did have another good look, and couldn't see any caterpillars... the leaves also look more torn up than munched. I'll net the tree anyway.
Nick, thanks for the tip about new shoots catching in the netting, I'll take care when removing it. I'll probably give it a hard summer prune later on anyway.

[nickdub]

". the leaves also look more torn up than munched. "

Does sound a bit weird - neighbour got a bit too enthusiastic with a runaway strimmer ? :-)

[FB.]

Maybe slugworms?

[bario1]

Ugh just goggled those... couldn't see anything on the leaves though - they really do look like they've been attacked with a strimmer (not that i'm suggesting that).

[FB.]

Ugh just goggled those... couldn't see anything on the leaves though....

In some years I've had low to moderate numbers of slugworms on pears (I don't have any cherries but there are large old cherry trees nearby).
To my eyes, the ones I get often they look like a streak of bird poo.

[Jay-ell]

I use a mosquito net on my cherry tree.

[Jungle Jane]

I was just picking caterpillars off my mums cherry tree,they web themselves in the leaf,a lot of the leaves are like lace doilies. Birds might’ve been pecking at the caterpillars taking the leaf as well so they don’t drop on the ground.

[chrisdb]

The pigeons were sitting on mine, eating the tiny fruitlets and shredding the leaves. They moved on to it after eating most of a sea kale plant.

[Scarlet]

The pigeons were sitting on mine, eating the tiny fruitlets and shredding the leaves. They moved on to it after eating most of a sea kale plant.

Same here ...they sit on my plum trees

Mind you jackdaws are worse - they nest in my chimney and pop up in my living room after a trip down the chimney!!! Bird crap all over my settee! They don't like being caught either

[bario1]

Popped a net over the tree this morning, maybe I'll eat my first home grown cherry this year!