Gone

[shadycon]

2 day old,1" seedlings disappeared overnight! I found 2 stubs out of 8 plants at ground level. Nothing left.Looks to have been chewed off. No evidence as to what did it. Germinated seed put directly into 3 gal pots in grow room. Not a good start but I can start more.

[Gator]

That's probably mice, I've had the same thing happen starting seeds in the basement

[Orggrwr]

Man that sucks, hate when that happens. I had a problem with a groundhog. Thought he was stealing my weed but I had no idea.

[Orggrwr]

Just kidding.🙂 Could also be voles if they attacked from below ground. Have lost many a tomato and flowers to voles.

[shadycon]

I have been doing a little research on mice repellents. Tom Cat has an essence oil product to repel mice,peppermint,cinnamon,lemongrass oils. Has anyone tried it?

[Ckbrew]

Fox urine keeps them away. Predator scent. It stinks like mild skunk and rotten something so if the grow is inside your house, well you decide. I use it around my plow truck to keep out the mice. just use a squirt around the wheels and anything that touches the ground. There is also a fiber pad in the engine bay to add some also.

[shadycon]

This my grow room

[golfnrl]

That's a lot of tomatoes, LOL.

[Floopydoop]

*picks at teeth*

Awww...I'm sorry. I don't even know where you live. *burp*

[crucialbunny]

I encountered the same problem a number of times and discovered it was pill bugs from homemade compost I was using to sprout seeds. Typically they only eat rotting plant matter but they seem to also enjoy noshing on delicate new sprouts as well.

[Allotrope1000]

I avoid critters munching on my seedlings by growing them to about 6" tall in a one gallon pot, then transplanting into 7 gal pots in the greenhouse. The same for in ground outdoor grows, but chicken wire cages with Remay wrap keeps them from eating the 6" plus plants.

[MeowMeow]

Did it nibble on anything else, or just the new little sprouts? That would freak me out!

[shadycon]

Only the little sprouts. No indication of anything else. Started using grow room in 2024,1st problem.

[Allotrope1000]

My most offensive seedling eaters are quail and maybe doves. They do not bother the 6" + transplanted seedlings, but they have chicken wire cages and Remay to protect them. No other critter problems.

[Bowhunterwoody]

Yep f'n robins think the new growth breaking soil are worms I think. I've found more than a few seedlings laying on the ground. State bird here. If not the 22 would be roaring. More for my cukes and zucchini than weed.

[Orggrwr]

You're lucky if you still have wild quail in your area. Used to love to hear them call in the evenings when I was a kid but haven't heard the " bob-white" call in a long time. A sad sign of the times..

[Allotrope1000]

Hi. Orggrwr.
My quail are Gambrel's quail. Unfortunately, they do not whistle "bob white". I agree with you on the sad sign of the times. I feed them and the doves bird seed everyday to encourage them to stay around the 'hood.

[golfnrl]

I live in the city. Nowadays my wildlife consists of birds, squirrels, rabbits, the occasional fox, raccoon, and opossum. The birds, rabbits, and squirrels gather around the bird feeders. My cairn terrier catches the rats. 7 last summer. I haven't heard a bob white in a loooong time. But I do miss them. I try and listen to the song birds early in the AM. Reminds me of days gone by in the deer woods. Come on Springtime!

[Orggrwr]

I'm in Virginia mostly surrounded by woods so we still get plenty of wildlife around, just not as much as there used to be. The last several years I've been transforming my garden to only native plants that help wildlife, especially the birds and bees. Things like Milkweed, Bee Balm, and Trumpet vine for the hummingbirds. Also native plants are much less work than the Roses and other exotics i used to grow.

[Gator]

Dude, that's awesome,did the 🐻 do any damage?? And what bird is that??

[Orggrwr]

No, never had bears do any serious damage. Every now and then one will come through and spread trash all over and they have destroyed a few bird feeders to get to the seeds, but that's about it. The bird is a Red Tailed hawk , wish i could have gotten a better pic of that one.