Want to know what has been nibbling your plants? Every pest leaves telltale signs. You will know the difference between a furry animal and a slimy snail once you know the signs of common lawn and garden pests.
Deer lack upper incisors, so they bite foliage and tear it free, creating jagged edges. This is also true when they bite a stem –the edge is jagged. When deer are present, you will see hoof prints in soft soil and lawn.
Rabbits leave neatly clipped stems and prefer new, tender growth, including stems, growing tips and leaves. Sometimes they will munch an older leaf but may not eat the entire thing. Rabbit damage tends to be low to the ground. They also chisel away bark on woody plants, especially in fall and winter.
These slimy critters like to hang out where it is moist and shady. If they can find a place to hide during the day, like under rocks, landscape timbers, pots, or mulch, they will also attack plants in sunny beds. Slugs and Snails tend to create through-and-through, irregular-shaped holes in leaves, not along the edges. (Most insects start feeding from the outside of a leaf and work their way in. To be sure of telling the difference between slugs and snails, go to your garden at night with a flashlight. Look beneath leaves.
These munchers eat irregular holes in leaves, attacking both older and new growth. Some types of bugs, called Cutworms, eat plants through seedling stems at ground level, which makes plants fall over. Many Caterpillars boast camouflage that allows them to blend in with the leaves they are eating. Watch for butterflies fluttering around plants, landing on leaves and laying eggs. That is a sure sign Caterpillars are coming.
This Wasp cousin has larvae that resemble Caterpillars or Slugs. There are several types of Sawflies. While some larvae eat plants, they make holes in the leaves that aren’t straight through. This makes the holes appear transparent. Some types gather along the edges of leaves, where up to a dozen worm-like creatures can be seen eating the same leaf.
Shiny, metallic Japanese Beetles feed on flowers and leaves. They eat in the middle of leaf blades, skeletonizing the leaf by eating the tissue between the veins. The larvae are lawn Grubs. Their feeding causes brown patches in grass and a spongy feel underfoot.
With their “pincers” on the back of their bodies, these scary-looking bugs eat both dead and living things, like insect eggs and adult Aphids. But they also like to eat soft fruits (peaches, apricots, berries) and new growth on plants. Typically, they chew irregular holes along leaf edges or inside the leaf blade. On seedlings, they will eat all tender growth –leaves and stems. You will usually spot them hiding inside blossoms or growing shoots of plants.
The bees that were brought in are good pollinators, but they do hurt ornamental plants like roses and ash trees. Their marks on leaves is distinct: They cut neatly edged, half-moon disks along leaf edges. They use this material to line the cells in which they lay eggs.
As a passionate gardener, nothing is more frustrating than walking outside to find entire stems nibbled off your beloved plants overnight. While the damage can seem mysterious at first, there are several likely culprits that regularly attack the stems and foliage of garden plants By learning to recognize the signs of different pests and utilizing preventative measures, you can take action to protect your hard work in the garden
Common Stem Nibblers in the Garden
Slugs and Snails
These slimy mollusks come out at night to feast on the tender leaves and stems of seedlings and herbaceous plants. Their rasping mouthparts can shred foliage and leave behind telltale slime trails on leaves and soil. They thrive in cool, damp conditions.
Frequency of occurrence 33%
Cutworms
These plump caterpillars hide near the base of plants during the day, then come out at night to chew through stems at ground level. This causes healthy seedlings to topple over. Their damage can be confused with vole damage.
Frequency of occurrence: 25%
Voles
Also known as meadow mice, voles are small rodents that burrow underground. They emerge to feed on stems, seedlings, roots, and tubers. Vole damage can resemble cutworm damage since they chew through stems, toppling plants. They are most active at night.
Frequency of occurrence: 25%
Earwigs
While not the most common stem nibblers, earwigs can attack young transplants and seedlings, stripping the leaves and chewing the tender stems. They leave behind small, jagged holes and excrement pellets.
Frequency of occurrence: 8%
Deer and Rabbits
Hungry deer and rabbits are also attracted to the tender growth of garden plants. They rip and tear vegetation, leaving stems stripped of leaves and shoots gnawed to the ground. Damage is usually most severe at dawn and dusk.
Frequency of occurrence: 8%
Recognizing Damage from Stem Nibblers
Carefully examining affected plants and the surrounding area can provide clues to what pests are feeding on your plants’ stems and leaves.
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Slugs and snails leave behind shiny slime trails on leaves, stems, and the ground.
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Cutworm caterpillars clip stems cleanly at soil level, toppling seedlings over. Frass may be found near severed stems.
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Voles make small burrows and shallow surface runways through vegetation. Stems are clipped at an angle, often with just the top leaves eaten.
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Earwigs leave behind small, jagged holes in leaves and chew irregular notches in stems. Their excrement looks like tiny pellets.
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Deer and rabbits tear vegetation, leaving stems stripped of leaves and tips of shoots chewed off. Damage is usually higher up on larger plants.
Preventing Stem Damage
While pests can never be eliminated completely, there are several effective tactics to help safeguard your plants from these nighttime nibblers and stem shredders.
Remove Hiding Places
Eliminate debris, weeds, and thick groundcover near vulnerable plants to eliminate shelter for slugs and snails. This will encourage them to move elsewhere.
Use Physical Barriers
Collars made of cardboard, aluminum foil, or copper mesh around seedlings provide a physical defense against slugs. Remedy cutworm damage by placing cutworm collars made of paper, cardboard, or metal around transplants. Chicken wire fencing can help deter rabbits and deer.
Apply Mulch
A 2-4 inch layer of coarse, shredded bark mulch makes it harder for slugs to travel to your plants. Avoid moist organic mulches like grass clippings.
Encourage Natural Predators
Attract slug predators like garter snakes, ducks, and beetles by providing habitat. Avoid pesticides so these beneficials thrive.
Use Slug Baits and Traps
Apply slug bait or set out beer traps to capture and reduce slug populations. Look for iron phosphate baits which are low toxicity to pets and wildlife.
Adjust Watering Habits
Water plants at the base in early morning to avoid getting foliage wet, which attracts slugs at night. Proper watering also nurtures healthy plants that better withstand pest damage.
Grow Vole-Resistant Varieties
Choose plants with tolerance to vole damage like daffodils, lavender, pennyroyal, catmint, and narcissus. Avoid favorites like tulips.
Clean Up
Remove garden debris like fallen leaves and overgrown groundcover to eliminate vole shelter and food sources.
Use Physical Barriers
For valuable plants, surround with a cylinder of 1⁄4 inch wire mesh, sunk several inches into the ground to thwart voles.
Use Repellents
Spray or sprinkle vole-repelling products made with castor oil, garlic, or capsaicin on vulnerable plants. Reapply after rain.
Apply Pesticides
As a last resort if all else fails, spot treat vole tunnels and runways with zinc phosphide bait.
Protect Seedlings
Use cutworm collars around seedlings to prevent cutworms from severing tender young stems and transplants. Check regularly for new damage.
Handpick at Night
Search for cutworms near plant bases at night using a flashlight and remove them by hand. Drop in soapy water.
Encourage Natural Predators
Promote cutworm predators like birds, predatory beetles, and parasitic wasps by avoiding pesticide use in your garden habitat.
By taking a proactive, multi-pronged approach and utilizing preventative measures tailored to each pest, you can gain the upper hand against these destructive critters attacking your plants’ stems. Pay close attention and quickly treat any damage to safeguard your garden from further assault. With persistence and vigilance, you can protect your landscape plants and enjoy their beauty.
WHAT IS EATING MY PLANTS? | Common Garden Pest Control using Leaf Signatures
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