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Mice or bird damage?

Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
in Problem solving
I don't have a picture, but would anyone know if mice eat Petunia buds - I noticed yesterday that some of the buds had disappeared - would it be mice or birds - it seems to be happening at night, which makes me suspect mice are the problem - if so, how can I stop them - is there a safe spray of some kind that would deter the mice but not harm the wild life.  I know mice have to eat and there is plenty of seed scattered around by the birds for them.

Posts

  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Completely removed like snapped off  under calyxes as you might dead head a flower, or all petals eaten?

    Why anything would eat petunia buds I don't know, I do not grow them but dead headed a load when looking after a friends garden, yuck sticky  things :D
    Sorry commiserations.
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    Yes agree they are sticky things that need constant deadheading, luckily I only have a few plants, but after taking some trouble to source the seed and growing them, I was disappointed to see that some of the buds have been completely removed from the plants. I am certain it is mice, but why only the red flowers - I never see any birds taking an interest in the plants so feel that I can count them out.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Happens with mine sometimes but I’ve seen the slugs, they chew the leaves as well. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited July 2019
    Any pheasants around? Or peacocks?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • HelixHelix Posts: 631
    Birds do get up early....so could be having an early breakfast?
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    True @Helix they do, and when I get up before dawn the birds are already gorging themselves on the feeders.  I have never seen a bird (or mouse) eating the petunias - so whichever it is knows to do it discretely!
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I have seen blackbirds and wood pigeons at daybreak go after plants, that how I know what got my primroses flowers first then leaves @Guernsey Donkey2 
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    It's all part of gardening and we do encourage the birds to eat various plants (cherries that are too high up the tree for us to reach, rotten apples and of course the aphids), so how should they know that these Tidal Wave Petunia seeds were expensive and much revered by me.
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