WHat is shredding up my Mint?

[PunkRotten]

Hi,


I saw this problem first back in Spring/summer last year. The problem kind of went away, and was not as severe. Now out of nowhere something is back at attacking my Mint. I examine the leaves and see nothing, I even checked at night too. Almost all the leaves have holes or shreds in them, some are even skeletonized after being shredded so bad. What could be doing this?


[img]https://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c86/punkrotten/942_2497.jpg[/img]


[img]https://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c86/punkrotten/942_2499.jpg[/img]


[img]https://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c86/punkrotten/942_2501.jpg[/img]

[cynthia_h]

Snails and/or slugs inflict this kind of damage on plants. They like my mint and veggies, too, but raids under cover of darkness, armed with flashlight and trowel, diminish their numbers.

You'll want to read the many...ah..."darkly entertaining" discussions hereabouts on Snail Hunting.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[applestar]

I agree with Cynthia on both count -- (1) snails/slugs and (2) "darkly entertaining"

[rainbowgardener]

Cynthia and applestar got there first, but yes, I was thinking skeletonized leaves is almost always slugs or snails. You will never see them unless you go out late at night with a flashlight and even then it can be difficult. But try putting a board down on the surface of your soil next to the plants. Leave it for a few days, then lift it up in daylight. You will likely have your slugs/snails hiding under it.

[Tonio]

Get some DE?

I can't see the pics???

T

[PunkRotten]

I think I deleted them from the hosting site. I cut all my mint out. Pretty much all the leaves were in poor shape none was really salvageable. So I cut everything to the ground. I will just wait till it grows fresh again.

[PunkRotten]

BTW I think I may just get some DE. I planted some radishes like a week ago and they sprouted but they are getting munched up. I planted some endive as well as Dill and rocket salad. I think the bugs are munching it too. I noticed the earwigs are starting to get active again and think they are eating the young plants. They attacked my peppers seedlings last year.

[Tonio]

I know DE deters slugs, not sure about earwigs. Gotta keep check on those earwigs. They do explode in population if you give the right environment, and seem to be a nuisance in SD.

I battled 2 nests in the past few days, each nest must have been about 100 baby's too close for comfort to my veggie patch. They wipped out my radish and green onion seedlings.
I have'nt tried the earwig traps (much like w/ slugs), usually just crush them.



T

[Kisal]

Earwigs do eat young plants, but they are equally active as predators on other insects. It may be that there aren't enough plant-feeding insects available this time of year to keep the earwigs alive, so they turn to plants.

Whether to destroy the earwigs or not is a decision you'll have to make. I don't exactly "like" earwigs ... ugly things that they are ... but I do try to make allowances for any insects that prey on things like caterpillars and other garden pests.

[PunkRotten]

I have seen the earwigs in the act of eating pepper seedlings, young green onions, and even a cilantro plant. But the cilantro was dying anyway. I get a good amount of them in the garden, but I hear they are good to have around cause they are predators too.