things that munch

[filthyrich]

last year i had something that decided it was going to eat anything green growing in the garden ,not rabbits but grub like ,a row of late peas just about to fill out the pods were stripped bear,i could find nothing on the plants but on removing the now useless plants i found what looked like brown caterpilers buried in the soil surface,has anyone any idea what they could be. dont want them doing the same again this year.

[Snadger]

I had problems with cutworms which cut the plant off at soil level then retreat to 4" below the soil. I just grubbed them out, squashed them and re-planted with spare plants! Eventually after killing about a dozen I got rid of them.
Leaving soil exposed after digging will allow birds and other creatures to dispose of them for you! If you don't kill them they keep re-surfacing and move along to the next plant each time!

They look a bit like a browny/greeny curled up caterpillar!

[filthyrich]

snadger thanks for that,these grubs sound the same but my ones did not eat thro the plant at ground level just all the plants leaves , i did rid myself of any further problem in that part of the garden but now have some carrot fronds that appear to be suffering the same fate.

[Snadger]

The two things you mention may not have been connected! What was damaging the topgrowth may not have been the ground dwelling bugs!

[filthyrich]

true but cant think of anything else

[Snadger]

Could it be pigeons,magpies , jackdaws or rabbits! Try netting if so!

[filthyrich]

allready under netting.

[roitelet]

It's been so mild FR, have you got caterpillars?

[filthyrich]

none visible but i think the ones that had a go at the peas looked very like caterpillars