Spinach pest

[annie8]

Now something is chewing my spinach. Am guessing some kind of caterpillar? Can anyone help?

[veggiechicken]

I don't know what it is - but that's a lot of slug pellets.

[Mr Bones]

Looks like a leaf miner of some description.

[Greenleaves]

It could be white rust according to by book of pests and deseases

[annie8]

May have got a bit carried away with the slug pellets. Was feeling rather hacked off as the spinach was growing so well and i thought I had solved the problem of what put in that shady part of the garden. Would a pest spray sort it?

[veggiechicken]

If you MUST use slug pellets the recommended spacing is 1 every 4".
I don't use them as they are poisonous to other creatures.
Slug Pellets: Dangers & Hazards · Metaldehyde · Methiocarb ~ Slug Off

[annie8]

I’d rather not use them and don’t often but happy to look at alternatives. We had an awful time with slugs and snails in the garden a couple of years ago before we put in raised beds and fresh soil so bought the pack then. Less bad now. Did try those wool pellets but they didn’t seem to stop them. What would you suggest ?

[nickdub]

I’d rather not use them and don’t often but happy to look at alternatives. We had an awful time with slugs and snails in the garden a couple of years ago before we put in raised beds and fresh soil so bought the pack then. Less bad now. Did try those wool pellets but they didn’t seem to stop them. What would you suggest ?

You can't always 100% protect plants from slugs by the methods I use, but I generally get a crop. To start with I begin almost everything inside either by chitting seeds and/or container sowing. Then when planting out I try to dry the soil surface by covering it with something waterproof first - if I'm putting in stuff which I know slugs like I'll very often put a barrier like soot and or ashes from my wood burner round the base of the plant. Once plants get bigger they can usually afford to loose a leaf or two, as by then they have enough others to carry on growing.

Of course a lot depends on the weather - its much harder to be successful with this if its v rainy a lot of the time.

[annie8]

Looks like it is a leaf minor. Saw the suggestion that I should remove the affected leaves but that would be almost all of them. Would the plants survive that? I have a couple of other spinach rows that were planted later and aren’t much beyond their first leaves. Is it worth putting fleece over them to avoid the bugs spreading.