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What's eating my potted Basil plant ?

alysonaustinalysonaustin Posts: 9
edited June 2019 in Fruit & veg
My Basil plant is in a pot, on a 1st floor balcony which was recently washed, no slugs or bugs in sight, but something has started eating away at the leaves. Please let me know if you have any ideas. Our location is the south of France by the way, if it helps.

Posts

  • alysonaustinalysonaustin Posts: 9
    There are no slug / snail trails and whatever it is seems to be focusing on the top leaves. If something was hiding in the soil wouldn't it eat the bottom leaves first?
  • SheleenSheleen Posts: 51
    If there is absolutely no evidence of slugs or snails, one other answer could be a beetle. Japanese beetles aren't found in the UK... so it could be Rosemary Beetle? Though I'm not sure if they eat basil. Mint beetles only eat mint - so it's not them. Are there any signs of caterpillars maybe? The damage does look like a caterpillar chomping away... I have no idea what caterpillar varieties might eat basil - but I'm pretty sure someone here might know :)
  • BobFlannigonBobFlannigon Posts: 619
    Put a couple of slug pellets on the compost and leave it overnight.
    Yum yum.  Rather than poison yourself, just move the pot!
  • alysonaustinalysonaustin Posts: 9
    No sight of caterpillars, slugs, or beetles.  I've brought the basil into the kitchen, and cut off the damaged leaves. I'll see what happens in the next 48 hours and update you all. 
  • BobFlannigonBobFlannigon Posts: 619
    pansyface said:
    Move the pot? What good will that do? They’re not daft you know:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10856523

    And two slug pellets placed in a pot are hardly going to bring about your demise.🙄
    In reality, what's the likelihood of there being some other delicious smell between you and where it lands.  They're primitive, they move towards the nearest thing that smells nice!

    Would you put just one slug pellet on your tongue?  :D
  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 1,017
    edited June 2019
    Have a look at night wth a torch, as snails and slugs come out then to feast. If they're about, you should see them.
    Get them out, feed them to the birds, and get yourself  some copper tape to wrap around the top of the pot, just under the rim. 
    I don't know how it works against them, but they don't like crossing that barrier. 
    As an aside: that balcony doesn't look too inviting to slithering beasties, I must admit.
    I'm wondering if some caterpillar hatched from an egg that was deposited there, could be the culprit...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    More to the point Pansy, why did the poster thing it was so hilarious . Strange people? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • alysonaustinalysonaustin Posts: 9
    @pansyface @Sheleen @BobFlannigon @dappledshade

    SIGHTING OF CATERPILLAR AND PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN!! I woke up at 5.30, the sun was just rising. I went into my kitchen, turned on the light, looked over at my plant, and there was the caterpillar by itself. Question is though, which type of caterpillar? Yesterday I showed my neighbour a photo of my ravaged basil leaves and she replied straight away 'Chenille de la Pyrale, in English, caterpillar of the Snout Moth (she'd also problems with it). What do you think?
  • BobFlannigonBobFlannigon Posts: 619
    Lyn said:
    More to the point Pansy, why did the poster thing it was so hilarious . Strange people? 
    It's not hilarious, that's exactly the point!  You wouldn't put one on your tongue because it's poison, so why would you sprinkle it around plants that you're going to eat?  You'll end up eating it!
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