Is there any way to really tell which animals are eating plants?

11 years ago

So for the past few weeks, my Dutch Masters lilies have been having their leaves stripped to the stem, and the tops bitten clean off. Some were partially eaten, some completely stripped , like what I found this morning. The total Lily casulty count is 19. 3 Hostas have had their leaves nibbled on, but not too bad- except for an Empress Woo, which , every time new leaves grow- after a few days, I notice they are bitten to the ground again- (now it's got 1 and 1/2 leaves on it). It's getting worse by the day. The latest victims were pretty tall- I thought they would make it. I even saw today, where something stripped/bit top off a lily that had just started to bud and Calla lilies ( had just reached point where first leaves were tall and unfirled) next to it also were eaten to 1/2 size.

Problem is - aside from the obvious- I can't narrow it down. Too many suspects. There seem to be at least 3-4 rabbits around time to time (1 is so friendly with kids that he's been here since last year as a baby and we can walk right next to him- he's used to us) My husband has seen a large groundhog. There are squirrels everywhere, and twice now, at night, I've seen a small mouse-like thing come past the steps at night from one front plant bed to the other. Mouse or Vole?? I've never seen "my kids' rabbit" eat or go in any of my plants, but logic told me initially it was the rabbit/s.But since the plants were taller, and how much is being decimated in 1 night, I am thinking maybe the Ghog? I ended up spraying everything with HavaHeart spray this afternoon, but I just know that tomorrow a.m. I'll find even less viable plants left.

Short of staging a "reconn mission" to catch something in the act, how can I tell what critters are my biggest enemy here?

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Comments (3)

Kimmsr
11 years ago
When is this happening? What time of day or night?
How are those being eaten? Biten off, it appears to me, indicates deer browsing during the night, possibly rabbits.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years ago
That clean, angled cut says rabbits to me.

tj
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jenraider72
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you both for replying. I wish I knew exactly when- I last see the plants in the evening around 8pm,& first see them in the morning around 7 am, which is when I notice the new damage. I thought that since I never see the rabbit around the plants, and also with the large amoun that it was the groundhog but it would have to be very early am then, correct, as they are not nocturnal? There are no deer around here, but we do see oppossums and I'm sure there are raccoons. I have been looking at every house on my route to work to see if they have damaged plants, and I never notice any. I just see many houses with perfect lilies that are what mine should look like. That's when I think, it has to be rabbits, because we've seen a few in the front yard from time to time, and of course there's the one that "lives" close and vacations just about all day in our yard. I have only seen him happily eating grasses and weeds in the yard, and my kids and husband feed it bread as well. (I know- bad idea, but that ship has sailed-it runs over to us; I can walk/stand right next to it and it doesn't spook because it's been here since last year as a baby) Since it's here so much, you'd think one of us might catch it somewhere in or around my plants- but it never happens. Not even when we watch from inside the house. Then again there are plenty of other rabbits around. I just feel like my garden is a major target. This had never happened before, and the amount being ruined overnight- 2 to 3 flowers at least, and munch marks on several Hostas- really made me think it had to be something big, or worse yet, a combo of critters. I sprayed Havaheart 3 days ago though, and I've not seen any new damage as of yet. We'll see what tomorrow has in store when I get up. Thanks again