It happens overnight. The pea plants are cut off at the ground level. And some of them seem to be dug out.
I just put toothpicks around each plant and sprinkled some cornmeal (thinking cutworms.) But is it slugs? Or can ants do this? Thanks!
Cutworms or slugs? Who is eating my peas?
- Attachments
-
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30551
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I think this is classic cutworm damage, but the fact that they are DUG out as evidenced by the white stems may possibly indicate birds, although birds tend to play mischief with much younger, just sprouting peas....
Do you have grackles in your area? Have you noticed grackles in your garden very early in the morning -- just before or as the sun peeks over the horizon? They stride around my garden flicking mulch aside to look for slugs and snails (and cutworms) and they sometimes uproot loosely anchored sprouting seedlings. They could easily snap off pea seedlings I think.
Do you have grackles in your area? Have you noticed grackles in your garden very early in the morning -- just before or as the sun peeks over the horizon? They stride around my garden flicking mulch aside to look for slugs and snails (and cutworms) and they sometimes uproot loosely anchored sprouting seedlings. They could easily snap off pea seedlings I think.
