Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

What's eating my snowdrops?

angie4angie4 Posts: 44
in Problem solving

Is something eating my snowdrops? I've noticed some of the flowers have been completely denuded of petals, leaving only the calyx intact. Very upsetting, as I love my snowdrops. It's not because they've gone over, cos the petals turn brown and shrivel before they drop, and I can't see any sign of slugs. Weird! can anyone shed light on this problem? 

Posts

  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    I believe snowdrop flowers are high in sugars, acting as antifreeze (so they recover after frost), so I guess some critter in the garden has a sweet tooth!  They've been ok this year in my garden, but one year I had hardly any flowers - like yours, Angie, just the petals nibbled off.  I suspected bank voles because they nibble lots of stuff in the garden.

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Danae(dan-Ah-ee)Danae(dan-Ah-ee) Posts: 966

    I have much the same problem and  to think I've been feeding these birds all winter!

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410

    Think its probably slugsimage

  • sallykinssallykins Posts: 2

    Yes, I'm afraid it's those little brown slugs.  Probably because it was such a mild winter and they didn't die or hibernate.  Apart from getting on hands and knees and removing them I can see no organic way of getting rid of them...any ideas?

     

     

Sign In or Register to comment.