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DAFFODIL FLOWERS BEING EATEN!

CaromantCaromant Posts: 10
edited April 2018 in Problem solving
My daffodils are being attacked! The petals of all the different varieties have been munched - some even while in bud. This seems to be localised - the daffodils by our garage are untouched. No signs of any larvae, caterpillars or insects so I’m thinking its a night-time invader. Any ideas?
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Posts

  • MuddyForkMuddyFork Posts: 435
    Slugs and snails love daffodil flowers.  It's been very wet recently so that have able easily moved around the garden.
  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653
    Slugs and snails. 
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,968
    And puppy dog tails?   :|
    Utah, USA.
  • CaromantCaromant Posts: 10
    Noooo! It’s never happened before and they’ve been there for years.  Other than night time raids to pick slugs off individually, I can’t think how to deal. Gutted! ☹️ 
    (Puppy dog tails would be a cinch!) 
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    I have noticed exactly the same thing has happened to half a dozen of our daffodils - late flowering ones.  I have never noticed this type of damage before - I haven't opened the buds to look what is causing this attack - we have a couple of hundred daffodils, so a few damaged ones isn't too bad but I would like to know what is causing this problem all the same.
  • CaromantCaromant Posts: 10
    I HAD a couple of hundred daffodils in that patch, and none have escaped! 😞
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601

    Well, I am going to stick my neck out and suggest Spanish slugs which are spreading through the country, I understand. Why these in  particular? I have found they breed very rapidly; they are more active (than natives) in cold weather; they eat a much wider range of plants and they particularly like flowers. If you DO have these and you pop out at night you will find them all over your daffs, especially the little ones, although they seem to avoid Tete a Tete (spelling?)


  • CaromantCaromant Posts: 10
    I'll check it out tonight. (Voy a verlo esta noche)  Thanks Posy.
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    That is an interesting theory Posy - you are right about the Tete a Tete escaping the damage - lucky we have plenty of those and have had no problems with them at all. I will check them too Caromant.
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
    Just been out to the bin and my Tete a Tete have been chewed right off!!! 
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