I feel for SLN, having learned that lesson the hard way some 25 years ago. Mice girdled a few of our oldest, biggest apple trees - which killed them. All our newer fruit trees were screened at planting. I hope Connor at SLN gets new trees grafted and protected.
Another reason to want hawks, owls, foxes, bobcats, snakes, and even some cats around. Mother Nature has a reason for all those mouse / vole-eating predators.