Something is eating the flower petals in my yard. - Knowledgebase Question

San Marcos, ca
Avatar for cbrouwer1
Question by cbrouwer1
April 10, 2007
what could be eating the flower petals off my flowers in my yard? could it be potato bugs or rolley polleys? How do i get rid of them. Also, the new buds seem to have died. they are on a brown stem that starts at the base of the new bud and goes down about 1/2 inch to an inch. the stem is all shriveled up and when you touch it the new bud falls off. if it helps i can send you a picture of the plant. its the same one that is being eaten by something also.
thanks, Carla

Answer from NGA
April 10, 2007
If you've ruled out slugs and snails, the culprit could be earwigs. These pests usually hide in dark spaces, including between flower petals. While they normally eat only decaying debris, the population could be large enough that the competition for food is high, making your flower petals attractive to them. You can trap earwigs and roly polys by setting a trap in your garden each evening. Roll up a sheet of newspaper and set it near your flowers. Pests will crawl in and you can simply collect the tube in the morning and throw it in the trash. Next evening set out a fresh trap. Eventually you'll catch the critters and end the damage to your flowers.

Best wishes with your garden!


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