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Does this look like slug damage? Can they climb this high?

Betsey Thompson

11 years ago

My leaves are involuntarily supporting some creature. I've been lucky thus far in my gardening career in that I haven't been bothered by too many pests or diseases attacking my plants.

The majority of damage is on lower growing plants like lungwort and my Big Ears Lamb's ear, but it is also on this coneflower. I thought it was slugs but now I am not sure. Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Comments (6)

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years ago
Why not slugs? It looks like slug damage is a possibility to me. Have you checked at night?

tj
Betsey Thompson
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for your response. I am so clueless about these things! That is why I'm asking, because I've never learned about these things. I was under the impression that a slug wouldn't climb six or seven inches off the ground, which is how high the holes are on the coneflower.

I haven't checked at night yet, but I hollowed out a couple of spaces & put small bowls of beer near the plants with the most damage, into which I hope some slugs will fall! I'll keep you posted on my success. I'll look tonight with a flashlight.

If I have a lot of mulch on the beds, could that make things worse? I had some help in the garden last year, and now that I am looking at the thickness of the mulch, it could be too much. From the reading I've done it sounds like they like to live in mulch.

I was curious about what else it might be if not slugs, because if it isn't slugs, I know I'm going to be sad about my poor plants. I want to learn about what else I need to consider, like a beetle of some sort?
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My worst are Cherry Berry (I'm seriously thinking of loosing this one) Night Before Christmas Edges of Fantaboulous Does anyone know why the light areas taste better? It seems to be true in my garden. This year has actually been a much better one for slug damage. We had a cold, wet, lousy spring (and some of the summer). The only difference in what I did was the way I applied the slug bate. I had just heard that the non-poison kind only lasts a few days. I tried to sprinkle it very lightly at least twice a week. I also did what Phil said and for once didn't put it around the plants. I sprinkled it away from them hoping to draw the slugs in the other directions. It, or something, seems to have worked. Why is it that dryer lint works?
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
FWIW, a few holes in the plant leaf are really not much to get worried about. If the entire plant is being decimated or full leaves being devoured, then you might have a real problem on your hands. But what you are experiencing is more cosmetic than anything else - the plants themselves will be fine and bloom as intended.

Other than baiting for slugs or snails or otherwise addressing munchers on edible plants and dealing with any aphids, I'm not sure I'd be bothered to do much else.

And yes, slugs can get themselves to some pretty unusual places, like crawling up the deck railing to munch on seedlings in the deck railing boxes. Or up the side of a big glazed ceramic container. And don't get me started on snails!! Your gardening life is not complete until you see snails sliming their way up the patio sliders until they are eye level!! If you think slugs are bad, snails are way worse.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
Pillbugs, earwigs, beetles, and others could be possible culprits, as well.
Betsey Thompson
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, everyone. Got some slugs in the beer traps, so I'm hoping that is the problem. I'm removing the munched-on leaves, and will monitor going forward. I'll leave the traps in place for a few days to see if I get more.
Tinkerbel
10 years ago
Check closely for a slime trail. It could be slug damage but I don't think so. It looks to me like looper damage. Check the undersides of the leaves for little caterpillars or cocoons.

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