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What's eating my clematis?
4thPanda
Posts: 4,145
Something seems to be having a go at my clematis buds. Does anyone have a suggestion of what may be having dinner at the flowers' expense? I can't believe it is slugs from the balancing they would have to do! Suggestions and solutions gratefully received 
Sorry pics are a bit fuzzy 
String is nicely in focus though 
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Posts
Slugs love clematis and you'd be surprised at their agility and stamina. Bit early for earwigs which do similar damage to dahias so try a double whammy with wildlife friendly slug pellets and some straw packed into wee pots upside down on the end of sticks to trap any earwigs.
Oh bother. Grrrr. Flipping slugs etc
Thanks Obelixx
Should I start a new thread, what wildlife friendly slug pellets do you recommend?
yep,slugs really do ,and so do snails
I had same damage last year and it was caterpillars check under leaves and around the trellis
Panda - if you are going to use pellets the ones with "ferric" something are better - steer clear of the methaldehyde (??) ones which exterminate everything in sight. I find copper rings in a circle round the base of my clematis do the trick too, because slugs can actually chomp through the stems at the base and then you lose the whole lot
(although mine did resprout, and seem none the worse for it
)
Thanks cairnsie. Will have a look tomorrow. Guess I can't 'protect' against them
arghhhhh, me too! My buds are hollow! Can it really be slugs? No slime that I could see on the wall. And how do they get to the buds?? Further investigation needed. Will try in morn.
Will def be interested in your findings noodle
Please can you let me know what your investigations turn up?
yes, will do. I've got an open flower with no petals, just the centre. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
That doesn't sound good. At least I have some flowers that have made it open.