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paoloseganti

help! something is eating my boo

paoloseganti
18 years ago

finally i got little growth on my rhyzomes of black bamboo, and this morning i discovered that some of the skinny young culms vere chewed in half and most of the leaves were eaten, but not bites like snails, or beatles, , they're kind of shredded lenghtwise. and the damage starts from the bottom leaves. which leads me to think i might be from something that crawls not fly on it.

anyone know what it could be?

I did find some little slugs in the mulch, and put right away slug/ snail poison, but i think it might be something else.

i found lot's of roly poly. what do they feed on?

thanks

Comments (10)

  • kudzu9
    18 years ago

    Squirrels are really good at mowing down young shoots, but they usually leave them alone when they get a foot or so high and are hardened off; and I've never seen them go after leaves. Do you live in an area where you might have deer?

  • foxd
    18 years ago

    Are there any cats in the area? I've had them attack small bamboo shoots, especially if you don't want them to.

  • bambooo
    18 years ago

    Shredding sounds like house cats. It might be slugs however. Don't think the pillbugs are any problem.

  • paoloseganti
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    no guys. no deers, cats couldnt do that to the leaves. and as for squirrels i still don't think it could do such work on the leaves. it's something smaller than a squirrels. it's got to be an insect. I went to a nursery with some of the damaged boo and they said slugs for shure.
    so i gave it a good dose of pellet poison. let's hope it works.
    the damage it's done, but thanks for the input guys.
    ciao paolo

  • kudzu9
    18 years ago

    Paolo-
    Please keep us posted. I am still of the opinion it's not slugs. I live in the Pacific NW and I guarantee you that my slugs are bigger and badder than yours...and they don't do that kind of damage, especially in one night. Slug damage is typically a little mibble here and a little nibble there. We have slugs up to 6" long, and none of them have ever taken out any of my culms, although they've done some damage.

  • mtnbamboogirl
    18 years ago

    i agree with kudzu..i had 3 of my 18 types of bamboo munched by deer till i put chicken wire around them...do you live in the country or deep inside a city?

    Here is a link that might be useful: east coast bamboo group

  • egangrows
    15 years ago

    I a having the same sort of problem with my bamboo - spoke to the nursery where we purchased it and they thought maybe wasps would shred leaves for building their nests. I haven't spotted any wasps about but it's a thought.
    I agree with above posts re: slugs - it doesn't sound like the kind of damage they would inflict.

  • waterman1971
    15 years ago

    Will you send me some of those little rascals, i have plenty of bamboo for them to eat.

  • booz4all
    15 years ago

    Rabbits are the main culprits in my area, they tend to favor the lower leaves and new shoots. I have to fence juvenile plants or watch them get gnawed to the ground, good luck.

  • fluffy_bamboo
    15 years ago

    I get grasshoppers & moths in my black bamboo. I don't notice any damage but they seem to like it.

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