Help - Pests (I think)

[Grandy]

Hi all, need some advise and diagnostics.

Whilst checking my raised beds today, something had destroyed my spinach, my sprouts and had a go at the cauliflower.

It's almost that it's been eaten off or pulled out, whilst inspecting I noticed quite a few leatherjacket larvae in the ground, but going by the net this shouldn't pose a high risk. Also there are lots of black ants around and a lot by the stem to the roots, I was under the impression that ants are harmless. Finally I thought it could be cutworm, but there is absolutely no sign of these in the bed.

Any advice as to what you think it could be and what preventive action I can take would be great. I should add that the bed is protected from birds using a net cloche.

Thanks

[Hazel at the Hill]

I would have said pigeons before I read that you had the bed netted - my next guess would be slugs/snails - can you see any slime trails?

[Grandy]

No, nothing, have slug traps and pellets down. Will take a picture of the larvae, just so you can gage what's in my bed.

[SarzWix]

Cabbage root fly / Royal Horticultural Society

Anything like that ^ ?

[gardenpassion]

The pigeons have pecked through the netting on my plot! sneaky small black slugs are about too.

[Grandy]

Nope, a lot bigger, about an inch.

I suffered from the root fly last year on my broccoli, buggers.

[Grandy]

The pigeons have pecked through the netting on my plot!

Could very well be, the spinach was close to the edge.

[Tripmeup]

I'm thinking pigeons too..thru the netting..
Have seen them land on the netting to weigh it down and then have a nibble...

[cazp]

The seedlings I've lost to leatherjackets look like they have just been cut down at the base of the stem with not as much damage to severed part of the plant as I have seen with slugs. I've usually found the leatherjacket just under the surface close to the stump of the seedling. Good news is that they should stop feeding late may/june and pupate.