A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2003 Pansies

I have something that is eating my pansies. The leaves are full of tiny holes and the blossoms are eaten before I even get to see them. Can anyone help??

SLUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KerriBea,
Check your salad bar at night time, say about 10:30/11:00pm. Take a flashlight with you and you'll find those slimmies on your flowers, buds, and leaves....
I personally have a pair of thread snippers by Fiskars attached to a long cloth key chain and they are the handiest things I own. I snip those things into 3 or 4 or 5 pieces depending how big they are...
I also put down wet cardboard nar the plant I suspect they are eating and then that's where they hang out during the day...So I find 'em eating time and sleeping time.
I'm not sure but there's a few questions brought up before about slugs and many different tech. were talked about. Not sure if you can still access them but check it out.

Weezie

KerriBear,
Those are one of my most favoritest plants and or flowers....
I have a whole bed of them,
Johnny~Jump~ups reseed like crazy and it's so awesome when you see a sea of them.
I love the new pastel pansies that have come out too, lite pinks and sherbert oranges... And the purples~light and dark!!!

Hi, I had the same problem as you--I was getting huge holes in my flowers and leaves.....One day I was turning back the leaves and lo and behold....slugs....I hate them....I got some powdered slug bait from wally world so far it seems to be working pretty good.....that seems like the easiest method....If I had time to go down every night with a flashlight I would...On this website under pests, slugs and snails it says that oat bran will kill slugs when they eat it....I haven't tried it yet, but I am thinking about it....

Loz,
The oats does work..They eat it and die happy and full..lol

Well, I am glad to know that it works....I think that I might just try it....I like the idea better than putting down chemicals...thanks for letting me know.....I will gladly feed them if they die!!!!ha ha ha

I hate snipping em Weezie.... makes the fiskers all yucky!
Feeling wicked? Water a spot well near the plants, and lay down a piece of wood (12"x12") with a rock or two to keep it slightly off the ground. Provide a bit of shade if possible to keep it a lil cooler. Tomorrow afternoon, when its warm and dry out, go grab a good salt shaker, head out and flip the board over. Apply salt liberally to what you'll find!
SlugWars web page


[ June 04, 2003: Message edited by: Bill ]

Bill,
Yes it does, "yuckier than all get out"
But I just wipe 'em there on my pants and I'm good to go *LOL* JUST KIDDING!!!!
I do wipe them on the grass, takes it right off, back off slicing and dicing..
It's so quick!!! And they don't twitch and writher around in pain!!! I hate them but I'm not a mean person...
With me I'd have Ian out there picking up the salt trying to eat it and I'd forget the container out side and I'd be having a sogging container..
The board works too or a piece of plasic...
I carry those fiskars everywhere I go
(I have a gardening apron, I look like Schneider from One Day at a Time!!!)
I'd sleep in the darn thing if my husband would only let me!!!!

The darnest things we do for flowers!!!

Weezie

Bill,
Have you tried the diatomacious earth??
Any luck??
Weezie

I have to admitt....

I have seen shows on tv where the slugs are bigger in some parts of the country.
I don't have very big ones here.....
Some are the size of a pinky in the south or west???????

Weezie

Please tell me that you don't really look like Schneider... and you were just referring to the apron "look"!
:rolleyes:

Sluggy... the guy in my photo was about 8 inches long when he was cruising... Everything grows big here....

Oh for gosh sakes, of course I was referring to the apron look!!!!
I look more like Christina Agerllia or Mariah Carey!!!

Well, at least I used to before I had kids (when I was too old to know better too) and gardens and mother's and neighbors and boyscouts and bible schools and..........
and dishes, and laundry and cooking and laundry and dishes!!!!

Why can't I just garden all day long???????
Weezie

Ok Weezie,
Those kids do a number on us don't they? My problem was when I got the last one in school, I ended up going back to work Now I have even less time for gardening! But... I have passed along all the slug info to a friend who doesn't have them in her garden, she has them trying to get (and sometimes getting)in her house! That is what I call a sluggish nightmare! Pardon the pun, just couldn't help myself

I was thinking of you this morning, Jiffymouse.......
On the home shopping channels (Can not remember if it was QVC or HSN~I flip back and forth....)
But I saw the cutest little mouse necklace made out of (I think it was QVC) because I think it was made out of diamonque diamonds.
It was so cute!!!
Just thought I'd share that with you!!

Have a great day!!!
Weezie

FDaROFL.... We start out with what's eating my Pansies, and now we've progressed all the way to mousie necklaces. I love it!
:p

Hi Everyone ,
I am new to all this. But i have a question, will the slogs eat Marigolds also. I have lost half the flowers I planted this year.They all had the little wholes in the leaves and blooms.
Thanks.

welcome DaniLin. That is a good question, I don't know the answer, but I do know someone here will and I can't wait to find out as I have something eating my marigolds also. check back daily (or more often if you want) and I am sure there will be an answer soon!! Again, Welcome to The Garden Helper

Hiya Girls,
Yes, they will eat them like candy........
I'll send more tonight...
It's a beautiful day today and I've got to go transplant. I'll be on tonight!!!
Weezie

Here's a quick site for some information on cutting down on those pesky buggers........

http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat/html/grow/slugs.html

Not enough time in a day!!!
I am off to bed.
spring time is a tough time of year for all the things you want to do!!!!
Glad to be gardening!!!!!!!!!
Weezie

Thanks so much for helping. Now I know for sure what the problem is and how to try and treat it. With all the rain we have been having here this spring it might be hard.And thank you for the warm welcome.

Our Pleasure DaniLin