From

Location

Message

Date Posted

San Luis Obispo Ca

Every time I get a young seedling to poke it's head out something bites it off. What could it be? Not snails, i took care of them, maybe earwigs? Any thoughts?

2/28/2004 7:50:46 PM

Oz

slugs?

2/29/2004 8:06:00 AM

Western Pa.

cutworms?

2/29/2004 8:17:52 AM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

mice?

2/29/2004 8:46:07 AM

[email protected]

I would think it is cutworms, dig around the soil, if you find a long juicy looking 1-1.5 inch green thing.. It is a cut worm..

2/29/2004 9:06:59 AM

San Luis Obispo Ca

How do I terminate?

2/29/2004 1:03:17 PM

Western Pa.

Sounds like the cutworms already took care of that. Oh, you mean terminate the cutworms?

2/29/2004 2:45:46 PM

San Diego, Ca.

Birds?

2/29/2004 11:43:43 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

A used toilet paper roll works as a preventative "collar" against cutworms.


Stick an inch into the soil around the seedling for protection.

3/1/2004 2:28:49 AM

[email protected]

Outside of posting a 24 hour guard, exclusion by physical methods is the only way for birds & squirrels. Insects you can treat for. But even this isn't going to be 100% effective since in the time a chemical takes to work, a very tiny seedling is toast. Get creative with a full chicken wire barrier fence all around the entire patch perimeter. Collars made of a rigid plastic like a spent butter tub are helpful when plants are small. Cut the bottom out & slice up one side. Stick it partly into the soil very carefully. Cloches or similar over the actual plants but vent them to avoid a new form a death. And bait for slugs too since their disgusting slithery slimey bodies can breach any physical structure. If potentially toxic baits bother you, some get results with diatomaceous earth sprinkled in a band around the plant to be protected. Others use shallow cups of stale beer buried to the upper lip. Tuna cans are a likely candidate. Personally I use baits.

When multiple possibilities present themselves, a multi pronged attack is the only solution until the real cause is discovered.

Steve

3/1/2004 6:50:03 AM

C N Y

thank you Old Doc---i don't think i woulda thought of that... i had seen the end-product also, but never the cause.
this was on tomato plants two years ago, but may still apply. i used the Wall O' Water "device" last year, and had no critter problems, except the biggest moth i have ever seen came flying around out there at night because i had my worklights on as i had to put 1/2-inch dowels into the ground to prevent the WO'Ws from collapsing when their water "channels" seep into each other, a nasty habit they have.....

3/4/2004 5:15:05 PM

Pumpkintown, SC

The birds got several of mine last year too. BF

3/6/2004 10:56:29 AM