Something is gnawing my in-ground Fig trees!  Whatever it is, the gnawing just started in the last week and is focusing on the terminal buds and lower buds, primarily on my 25 year old Desert King tree but also on my 15 year old Vashon Violet (Brunswick) tree.  This happened several years ago on rooted cuttings in my greenhouse during the Winter.

I took these photos today after seeing white spots on the branches from my Kitchen window.  The first photo was taken from inside the Kitchen.

The white spots barely visible on the branches are all gnawed.  Desert King at left, Vashon Violet at right.
 

Desert King branch with missing terminal bud and two lower bud rings gnawed.
 

Gnawed Desert King terminal bud.
 

I hope the critter loses its appetite soon before it eats all of the 2017 Breba crop buds.

kiwibob,   Seattle

If there was damage on low branches I would say it could be from rabbits, voles or mice but since it's on the upper branches my guess would be deer.
Put some fencing around your trees or they might keep coming back until there's nothing left to eat.

I had a possum gnaw at my fig tree's terminal bud with similar damage but since my fig was containerized i moved it elsewhere out of its reach. You could try netting the tree with mosquito netting or cheap lace curtain? it lets light through as well as protect from pests.

Deer and rabbits will do this to fig trees.Where I live the rabbits are very bad for knawing the base of my in ground trees.

I've seen squirrels do this sometimes, but only rarely. And then not on fruit trees. When I have seen it, they seem to go after a lot of trees in an area. I have always thought that it was some kind of nutrient deficiency in the animals that caused this behavior. If squirrels would do this then other climbing rodents, like chipmunks or field rats, could also be the culprits.


CliffH.

Sorry, no deer or wabbits here in the Maple Leaf Neighborhood of NE Seattle!  Deer can't get to the terminal buds 10 feet above ground anyway.  If they could, there would be severe damage to the tree and surrounding ground.  Also no chipmunks.  No voles either as there are too many cats in the Neighborhood.

With 5 in-ground Figs and 30+ Fig trees in large pots spread throughout my back yard, it's not feasible to net the trees, even to try to protect the fruit during the growing season as the critters get smart after one season and find a way inside.

We do have squirrels, rats (both Norway and Roof), Possums, Raccoons, and of course all sorts of birds but the birds go after the fruit not the branches.  I did trap a roof rat in October 2014 (after 2 years of trying to catch it, it finally took the bait of a not quite ripe main crop Fig) and I haven't seen any of them since.  It could be there is another one around now.

Happy New Year,   kiwibob   Seattle

I'm guessing mice.

Try wrapping it in bird netting.  Worked against my rodent gnawing problem.

I had similar issues that occurred mid autumn.  After going through the list of suspects, a trap confirmed that it was a packrat.  They mostly just bothered my young trees, sometimes cutting them off close to the soil line.   They were using the sticks for nesting material.  This problem has repeated itself several years, but prompt trapping will take care of the issue.

Another possibility might be voles although damage from them seems to be the stripping of bark above ground and below ground.

Byron (Ingevald)

I say get a trail camera and find out what exactly is chowing down on the plant,then you can get a plan to sove the issue. recon, plan, execute, follow up. Hooah!

My opinion: not voles. They won't climb. Definitely rodent by gnawing pattern. May be attracted to green buds versus nesting material. Bait traps and place nearby. I agree also with recommendations to wrap and/or make unpalatable.

Good luck and let us know.

90% of the damage I get in my entire garden (during the growing season at least) is from chipmunks.  You've either got that or something similar...

Agree with Dale, set some mouse traps at base of tree.