Cucumbers Critters

[kpatrick925]

So I planted a second round of cucumbers (some that Raybo sent me and some that I had) and they were doing really well. All had at least one set of true leaves on them. I came home from work today and this is what I found. All six sets missing their tops leaves and all. Didn't even save me one. Some of the stems were eaten all the way down to the dirt. Not sure what it was but I am very sad.

Oh well, better luck next year.

[rnewste]

Oh Kim.

That is so unfortunate!

That looks like something massive that would have eaten the stems as well. I initially thought snails / slugs - - but they typically just nibble at the leaves alone. Boy, you have some real critters in your neck of the woods.....

My Sweet Success I started the same day I sent you those seeds are 6 inches tall today.

Raybo

[salix]

In my garden, I would be blaming the crows or ravens!

[Sun City Linda]

In my garden I would be blaming the grasshoppers that seem as big as crows or ravens. (Well, perhaps not quite. ) LInda

[miken]

I'm inclined to think it is rabbits or something similar. Cucumber beetles will usually cut the vine off right at ground level, and unless you've got a LOT of grasshoppers you'd see at least some fragments of leaves left. But if you had that many grasshoppers (think locust plague), they'd have eaten it down to the ground, along with nearly everything else. Years ago I saw the aftermath of a 'small' locust plague, it was complete devastation!

We had raccoons using our back patio as a latrine, the advice we got that worked was to get some chicken wire and lay it out horizontally. They don't like walking on it. I've been told that works in gardens for rabbits as well, and possibly even deer. Our two cats make sure rabbits aren't a big problem in our yard.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by miken

I'm inclined to think it is rabbits or something similar. Cucumber beetles will usually cut the vine off right at ground level, and unless you've got a LOT of grasshoppers you'd see at least some fragments of leaves left. But if you had that many grasshoppers (think locust plague), they'd have eaten it down to the ground, along with nearly everything else. Years ago I saw the aftermath of a 'small' locust plague, it was complete devastation!

We had raccoons using our back patio as a latrine, the advice we got that worked was to get some chicken wire and lay it out horizontally. They don't like walking on it. I've been told that works in gardens for rabbits as well, and possibly even deer. Our two cats make sure rabbits aren't a big problem in our yard.

Nope, not cuke beetles and they don't cut off vines. The striped and spotted cuke beetles inject the pathogens they carry right into the leaves and while it takes about a month for symptoms to show up what you see are plants turning yellow, wilting, and then dying.

In my area those sheared off vines would probably be due to rabbits as miken and others have suggested.

[kpatrick925]

Thanks everyone. Would rabbits be able to get up on the earthtainer? Also, we do have oppossom's in our area (ugly little critters) Wish I would have thought of the chicken wire, I could have run it around the pea fence. I was just so disapointed. I have run into quite a few discouraging pests but I am learning a lot so I guess it is a trade off. The more I learn the better next year will be.

[kpatrick925]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Oh Kim.

That is so unfortunate!

That looks like something massive that would have eaten the stems as well. I initially thought snails / slugs - - but they typically just nibble at the leaves alone. Boy, you have some real critters in your neck of the woods.....

My Sweet Success I started the same day I sent you those seeds are 6 inches tall today.

Raybo

Raybo, I was most disapointed that they got the sweet success you sent. We have way more critters then I ever imagined. I didn't realize how "country" San Lorenzo was when I bought my house. My sister came from Texas and says she never had these issues in her garden. She only grew flowers so maybe that is the difference. I still like the area and am learning to put up with and hopefully will block some of the issues next year.....we will see. Although discouraged this year I am already planning what I am going to do next year. Maybe get a bigger dog for night patrol.

[miken]

Yeah, I should have said 'kill off the vines' rather than 'cut off the vines', because they just wither away, almost overnight it seems. Is it the beetle itself or the grub that causes that?

We only grow cukes every two or three years, that seems to keep the cucumber beetle population down. Fortunately, they don't bother leeks, which is what I put in that area of the garden this year.

How tall is your earthtainer, rabbits can get up on things, I'm just not sure how high they can get. My next door neighbor has a raised bed (2 or 3 railroad ties high) and I've seen rabbits in there.

Possoms will eat anything and everything they can reach and (like raccoons) can get practically anywhere! What ticks me off about possoms when they get in my bird feeder trays is not what they eat but that they defile what is left and the birds won't eat around their droppings.