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What is eating my daffodil buds?

jaffacakesjaffacakes Posts: 434
in Problem solving
Hi all, many of my daffodil flower buds are being attached by something :( 

Would anybody what is eating the below? I'm not sure of the variety but i think it was a dwarf variety anyway.

Thanks in advance


Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    Slugs and/or snails.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    I'd agree with that, Bob.  My dwarf daffs look similar...
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • jaffacakesjaffacakes Posts: 434
    Oh wow, i didn't think they'd go for flowers over foliage. It's very annoying. All my tete a tete seem absolutely fine in another part of the garden. Hope they don't go after my tulips next which all have lovely fat flower buds ready to burst.
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933

    Yes, I think it is probably slug damage.

    I picked up a bulb when walking my dog on the beach. It looked like a daffodil bulb, had a few stunted leaves showing so I planted it and waited with bated breath to see what glorious treasure I had found. Hah! A bud formed and was not far off breaking when it was demolished, just below the flower head and above the top of the stem. Now I have to wait 12 months to see what it is.






  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I have noticed tiny black beetles in some of mine.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511
    Could be our friends the friendly House Sparrows.  They sometimes go for yellow flowers but I'd rather have the sparrows than not so I've learned to live with losing a few flowers. 
    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653
    Mine have been munched nightly by slugs and snails but usually when the buds have opened 
  • jaffacakesjaffacakes Posts: 434
    edited April 2018
    Thanks all, probably is slugs. I know they attacked loads of my seedlings that were in mini greenhouse so i started again and using windowsills this time until they have true leaves at least. They seem less interested in seedlings once they come on a bit. It's interesting that most of my tete a tete daffodils were untouched but this other dwarf variety must be more appealing  :(:(
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Isn't that strange. My Tete a tete daffs have nearly all been eaten, but other types have been fine. We found some little brown slugs sitting inside a couple of bigger white daffs this morning - the blighters!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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