I live in Southern California. We have a Juniper Hedge, 15' tall and wide and 150' long, a veritable wall that gives us privacy from the street.
Lately, whole branches of the junipers have turned brown. I found that areas of the bark on those branches had been gnawed away, girdling and killing the juniper trees. A gardener said it was caused by rats.
Is it a common trait of rats to eat tree bark?? What can I do about it? What is the best way to get rid of outdoor rats that eat tree bark?