What Keeps Eating My Lettuce?

Some of the most common lettuce pests are:

1. Aphids.
2. Armyworms.
3. Corn earworms.
4. Crickets.
5. Darkling beetles.
6. Flea beetles.
7. Garden symphylans.
8. Grasshoppers.

How do you protect lettuce?

Prevention is the best cure, so cover lettuces with insect-proof mesh (such as Enviromesh) from June until August, as this will prevent aphids getting to the roots. Some lettuces are resistant to root aphids.

What is eating the roots of my lettuce?

A The worst damage is done to young plants with tap roots. Lettuce suffers especially badly. The cutworms eat the stem at or just below the soil surface. The plant eventually collapses, but by then the cutworm is attacking another plant.

What animal is eating my lettuce at night?

Rabbits, Voles, Woodchucks, Deer, Chipmunks, Squirrels. All eat leaves or fruits of plants in vegetable gardens. Symptoms include: Large parts of the plant are chewed off.

What animal is eating my lettuce?

What wild animal eats lettuce? Rabbits Voles Woodchucks Deer Chipmunks Squirrels.

What is eating my leafy greens?

If small insects have been eating holes in your collard greens (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), they’re most likely flea beetles, cabbageworms or cabbage loopers. Flea beetles only reach 1/16-inch long, and they vary in color from tan to black, reports the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

What is eating my lettuce and spinach?

The majority of pests that eat spinach are leaf-eating insects. Cutworms, cabbage loopers, corn earworms, snails, slugs and diamondback moth caterpillars are all common pests of spinach. Symptoms are irregularly shaped holes on either the leaf margins or in the middle of the leaves.

Do rodents eat lettuce?

Lettuce is safe for mice in small amounts, but make sure it isn’t the only treat you are offering your pet. Like humans, mice need to eat a variety of foods to get the most nutritional benefit, so switch things up to keep your pet mouse healthy and happy.

What is eating my lettuce seedlings at night?

Cutworms are the larvae of various species of moths in the Noctuidae family. They chew the stems of plants, cutting them down at the soil level. These caterpillars are typically active in the evenings and overnight.

What can I spray on leaves to keep bugs away?

Vegetable Oil
Use 1 tablespoon of mild soap (like dish soap or castile soap) to 1 cup of vegetable oil. Mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil mix to 1 quart of water and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the top and bottom of each leaf where the insects are dwelling and the stems if needed.

What is eating my plant leaves at night?

Leaf holes from slugs and snails are common in many types of plants, including basil, hosta, hibiscus, cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers. These pests do most of their damage at night. A nighttime stroll with a flashlight will help confirm your hunch is right.

What is eating holes in my plant leaves?

Slugs and snails chew leaf holes in many plant types, including hibiscus, hosta, basil, cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and pepper plants. Leaf holes from slugs and snails offer these clues: Holes are large and irregular in shape. Hole edges are relatively smooth.

What is making holes in my lettuce leaves?

Slugs and Earwigs
Slugs are the most common cause of holes in leaves, but they often remain unseen because they feed at night. Sometimes larger slugs eat leaves from the edge inward, but small slugs make irregular holes inside leaves, as shown in the chard leaf on the right in the above photo.

Do mice eat lettuce in garden?

Yes, and they will eat garden plants and houseplants, too. Mice are especially fond of seeds, so newly planted garden seeds like corn and sunflower seeds are a favorite target of garden mice. Newly emerging grass seed, grains and leafy green vegetables are also appealing to mice.

Do squirrels eat lettuce?

Squirrels eat a variety of vegetables, and gardeners know this all too well. If a squirrels happens upon any leafy green such as lettuce, chard, kale, spinach, or arugula, they will chow down.

How do I stop animals from eating my plants?

Ways to Keep Animals Out of the Garden

1. Put in a barrier fence. Among the most foolproof deterrents are physical barriers like fences.
2. Spray them away.
3. Scare them off.
4. Plant their least-favorite foods.
5. Spring-blooming perennials.
6. Summer-blooming perennials.
7. Groundcovers.
8. Shrubs.

Do rabbits eat lettuce?

You can feed darker, more leafy and fibrous varieties (e.g. romaine lettuce) to your rabbit, as these are higher in fibre and actual nutrients. Introduce them gradually, as large amounts of lettuce can cause tummy upsets for rabbits not used to it.

Do raccoons eat lettuce?

Raccoons are omnivores that will eat almost any fruit or vegetable you plant, although they do have preferences.

Is it OK to eat lettuce with holes?

Fortunately, there’s good news! Greens with holes in them that were created by feeding insects or slugs should be fine to eat, if you cut away the damaged parts.

Should I cut off leaves with holes?

If the leaf is more than half damaged by the bug, then you should cut it off the tree or plant. The same is true if the leaves have become yellowed or brown because of damage from bugs. Cutting the affected leaves off will direct needed nutrients to the other healthier leaves and allow them to thrive.

What are the little green worms eating my lettuce?

What are hammerhead worms, and are they harmful? The adults come and lay their eggs on the leaves of cabbage, leaf lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and kale and other leafy greens. The eggs quickly hatch and the young caterpillars start feeding.