Question
I have several mature giant arborvitae (over 20')lining my drive way leading up to the house.  The arborvitae closest to the house has noticeable bark stripped from several trunks exposing inner peeling reddish wood.  I had this happen several years to some arborvitaes in the back of my property and the foliage wilted and dried up during the summer.  One tree dried up totally and the remaining survived after trimming the dead foliage. We have had plenty of rain and some snow in Michigan and no drought during the winter so this condition cannot be from lack of moisture. Please advise because I would hate to lose this tree next to the house.

Answer
Dave,

The culprit in this case may very well be rodents or rabbits peeling the bark for eood or nesting materials. This is a common problem in areas where there is a lot of snow cover and very little food for the wild animals.

I would suggest trying to cover the trunks with plastic trunk protectors or burlap. this should discourage any further feeding.

Good luck.
Ed Gulliksen