Several animal and insect pests feed on seedlings.
1. Birds: Many kinds of birds, especially grackles, blackbirds, and crows, eat entire seedlings. The plants are most susceptible to bird attack when they have just emerged.
2. Snails and slugs: These pests feed at night and on cloudy days, chewing holes in leaves or devouring entire seedlings. Silvery winding trails are evidence of their presence. During the day they hide in damp places, such as under rocks and flower pots, or in debris.
3. Earwigs: These are dark brown insects with pincers on their tail end. They feed at night, and chew holes in leaves and stems.
4. Rabbits: These animals may eat entire seedlings, or leave only short stubs of the stems standing in the soil.
5. Grasshoppers: These insects are present throughout the growing season, and migrate from area to area as their food source is depleted. They eat entire seedlings. Grasshoppers are prevalent in hot, dry weather.
The numbered solutions below correspond to the numbers in the analysis.
1. Cover seedlings with a tent made of cheesecloth or netting stretched over a wooden frame. Scarecrows and dangling aluminum pie plates may help to deter birds.
2. Control snails and slugs with a bait containing metaldehyde. Lightly wet the area before application to activate the pellets. The moisture will also attract snails and slugs. Treat along the seeded rows, and in hiding places, such as under rocks, boards, and flower pots, or around compost piles. For more information on snails and slugs, see Snails and Slugs.
3. To control earwigs, treat with a bait containing carbaryl along the seeded rows and in hiding places, such as under rocks and in debris. For more information on earwigs, see Earwigs.
4. Keep rabbits out of the garden by erecting a 2-foot-high fence of small-gauge fencing wire around the garden. Anchor the bottom of the fence with boards 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil to prevent the rabbits from digging underneath.
5. Control grasshoppers and protect uneaten seedlings with a bait containing carbaryl. Repeat at weekly intervals as long as grasshoppers are present. For more information on grasshoppers, see Grasshoppers.
