[knightquest]

Got some veggies in the greenhouse that seem to be being mulla'h by caterpillocks....... I've tried to catch them in the act so that the chooks can have a meal but they are never around. Been out all times of day and night but with no success.
Any advice?

Cheers,

Ian

[darkbrowneggs]

I am not an expert but from my gardening experience I wouldn't suspect caterpillars at this time of the year, but I suppose it depends on how warm it is in your greenhouse

Its pretty much too cold with me for anything to eat anything, though the mice have been having a good go at  certain things.  As it warms up I find cutworm a problem and then flea beetle.  And of course as soon as it is warm enough the slugs get started.

Caterpillars tend to be more daytime feeders, but slugs and cutworm are more night eaters,  What does the damage look like. A photo might help or perhaps a description of the damage

All the best
Sue

[OhLaLa]

I reckon it's mice 

Or, if the door isn't closed, rabbits.

[Fleecewife]

Caterpillars are slow movers so if you've got them then you'll see them (unless they are camouflaging themselves as a leaf rib).  So as the others say, it's likely to be something else

[Hermit]

Forkey tails can do as much damage and similar damage to a caterpillar. Cant think what the proper name is ...earwiggy type things, like little black scorpians.

[knightquest]

Here is a picture of the damage........... thanks for your input by the way.



It's unlikely to be rabbits as we are in the middle of a housing estate and there have been no signs of droppings etc.
The rest....I don't know. See what you think.

Ian

[darkbrowneggs]

Can pigeons get in at all?

Sue

[Fleecewife]

Looks like pigeons to me and they will strip them bare 

[OhLaLa]

Slugs, snails... could be pigeons - can they get in?

Have you lifted the leaves at night and looked under them with a torch? Some bugs/caterpillars are very small and often the same colour as the leaf.

Cabbage Maggots

Cabbage maggots begin their cycle in the early spring, when small grey flies emerge from an inch beneath the soil and begin laying eggs. In less than a week, quarter-inch yellowish maggots hatch and begin feeding.

Cabbage Flea Beetle

Flea beetles are about the size of a pinhead (but these leave tiny holes in the leaves so unlikely it is this).

Only other thing that springs to mind are leaf cutter insects.

I notice you have a uniform little 'nick' in several of the possibly 'cut' areas, have you tried google to see if you can match the photo?

 

[Fleecewife]

That little nick (well spotted)  looks like where a pigeons beak has snapped down, and to either side is where it has torn off the piece of leaf.  The pieces are too big for a leaf cutter - unless you have humungous ones down there 
Another thing with caterpillars is that they leave behind them piles of green mushy droppings, usually to be seen down at the leaf/stalk junction.
To keep pigeons off I have resorted to mesh coverings, over hoops (made of blue water pipe) You can try dangling CDs from poles, so they flash in the sun, or making a scarecrow, or leaving the dogs amongst the veggies - but realistically covering them is the only sure way.

[darkbrowneggs]

Got some veggies in the greenhouse that seem to be being mulla'h by caterpillocks....... I've tried to catch them in the act so that the chooks can have a meal but they are never around. Been out all times of day and night but with no success.
Any advice?

Cheers,

Ian

You mention these are in a greenhouse.  If the doors are shut presumably pigeons cannot get in ........but......what about your chooks???  Could they be the culprits?  It wouldn't take long for one hen to do that.

all the best
Sue

[knightquest]

Neither pigeons or chooks can get in................This plant is right in the corner of the greenhouse and there is a plant about a foot away that is untouched! Hope I haven't jinxed it 

I have been out at night with a torch both at dusk and 1am.....no joy. I will try to match the nick so to speak to see if anything comes up. This has taken about a month to get to this state. I haven't seen and wouldn't expect to see any slug trails but the damage seems to be too big for really small critters to do.

Very frustrating!

Thanks for your info again...

Ian

[Fleecewife]

As exam invigilators say - read the question - silly me  .  Ian - you will have to set up a motion camera as we have to know the answer to this 

[northfifeduckling]

same damage here in the tunnel - my verdict - SLUGS

[knightquest]

Gawd bless my Chooks!

Usually lock 'em up about 6 ish. Forgot tonight so went up at 8................. Only found a caterpillar on the plant didn't I?
He is now an ex caterpillar and I feel GOOD!!!!

That plant is almost gone now so I suspect that there are more but it was good to find out what was eating it. How do you kill these b*st**ds though?

Ian