GuernseyDonkey2 I have had problems with earwigs eating my pansy flowers, they seem to love them. I have woodlice in the yard but I have only ever seen them damaging my Calibrachoa petals. The woodlice left small pinholes in the flowers rather than the large ragged edges that the earwigs inflict.
There are tiny pinholes in the leaves of the pansies and the pansy buds have been eaten before being allowed to open and flower normally. I still think this is the work of woodlice. However I have now covered the top of the soil with wood chip and am awaiting an end to this vandalism. Nothing new to report as yet but living in the hope of some blooming pansies soon BloodRose. No earwigs around here as far as I know..
Yes, I am sure you are right Verdun, but at the time of being eaten the pansies and bellis daisies did not have any wood chip, however I was watering them frequently so the earth would have been moist. It is difficult to know how or when to water now that the days are shorter and cooler - then you get a scorching hot day and plants begin to wilt. I am hoping the flowers (the plants aren't dead) will return soon, but in the meantime I will keep on watching for the woodlice.
i think i've made a rod for my own back by clearing them up and putting them in the compost bin, they are making quick work of composting but now there are millions of them in there, literally the bin looks alive so the question is now when i want to actually use the compost i will spreading the little blighters back round the garden in their thousands, i've tried before spreading them out on the floor for the birds but they are not interested....what can i do ?
I remember that it was mentioned in a TV program that they were once used as food (supposed to taste like shrimp) so did a quick google and found this:
During the occupation of Guernsey, the islanders ate a whole array of living creatures to get the protein they were so desperate for, however I have never heard of them eating woodlice - I will have to make inquiries. However my woodlice would make a very small meal and I think I will pass on that dish BobTheGardener. We have used wood chip for a number of years now and never have had a problem with woodlice causing damage to plants in the past. If the wood chip is when it is laid out there is more chance of woodlice living within but we let it completely dry out before spreading it out on our flower beds.
I have exactly the same issue. Flowering pansies in a pot. I have been picking off dozens of woodlice! I've just gone out in the evening and they are definitely eating the flowers! Any ideas how to encourage somewhere else?
I grow white and purple crocus but not yellow because the birds pull them to bits. I always thought it was because yellow attracts insects and insects attract birds. As for wood lice, I have a foolish fondness for them, and I choose to believe they do more good in the garden than damage.
I was interested to see my thread revived and I feel for you Caroline216 - I still have plenty of woodlice and they still enjoy munching on my pansies - although I haven't planted any new ones but was given a pot of them for Mother's Day and sure enough the woodlice have found them. I don't know of a natural way of encouraging them to go elsewhere, although we do have piles of rotting wood for them to live among in a different part of the garden. I think they are like ants in that they will pop up in any woodlice friendly place whether that is in our pots of delicious plants or under rotting wood.
As for crocus, yes, the birds do seem to love them - it could be the colour that attracts them or the saffron?
Fond of woodlice? - well there is always one.......!
Posts
GuernseyDonkey2 I have had problems with earwigs eating my pansy flowers, they seem to love them. I have woodlice in the yard but I have only ever seen them damaging my Calibrachoa petals. The woodlice left small pinholes in the flowers rather than the large ragged edges that the earwigs inflict.
There are tiny pinholes in the leaves of the pansies and the pansy buds have been eaten before being allowed to open and flower normally. I still think this is the work of woodlice. However I have now covered the top of the soil with wood chip and am awaiting an end to this vandalism. Nothing new to report as yet but living in the hope of some blooming pansies soon BloodRose. No earwigs around here as far as I know..
Yes, I am sure you are right Verdun, but at the time of being eaten the pansies and bellis daisies did not have any wood chip, however I was watering them frequently so the earth would have been moist. It is difficult to know how or when to water now that the days are shorter and cooler - then you get a scorching hot day and plants begin to wilt. I am hoping the flowers (the plants aren't dead) will return soon, but in the meantime I will keep on watching for the woodlice.
i think i've made a rod for my own back by clearing them up and putting them in the compost bin, they are making quick work of composting but now there are millions of them in there, literally the bin looks alive
so the question is now when i want to actually use the compost i will spreading the little blighters back round the garden in their thousands, i've tried before spreading them out on the floor for the birds but they are not interested....what can i do ?
There are, apparently, about 40 species of woodlice in the UK so some are probably more damaging to soft vegetation than others:
www.nnns.org.uk/sites/nnns.org.uk/files/imce/user11/speciesguides/Woodlice.pdf
I remember that it was mentioned in a TV program that they were once used as food (supposed to taste like shrimp) so did a quick google and found this:
http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/practical-guides/cooking-and-eating-woodlice-pillbugs-a-real-bushcraft-experience/
Yummy?
It's one way of dealing with them though!
During the occupation of Guernsey, the islanders ate a whole array of living creatures to get the protein they were so desperate for, however I have never heard of them eating woodlice - I will have to make inquiries. However my woodlice would make a very small meal and I think I will pass on that dish BobTheGardener. We have used wood chip for a number of years now and never have had a problem with woodlice causing damage to plants in the past. If the wood chip is when it is laid out there is more chance of woodlice living within but we let it completely dry out before spreading it out on our flower beds.
I have exactly the same issue. Flowering pansies in a pot. I have been picking off dozens of woodlice! I've just gone out in the evening and they are definitely eating the flowers! Any ideas how to encourage somewhere else?
I grow white and purple crocus but not yellow because the birds pull them to bits. I always thought it was because yellow attracts insects and insects attract birds. As for wood lice, I have a foolish fondness for them, and I choose to believe they do more good in the garden than damage.
I was interested to see my thread revived and I feel for you Caroline216 - I still have plenty of woodlice and they still enjoy munching on my pansies - although I haven't planted any new ones but was given a pot of them for Mother's Day and sure enough the woodlice have found them. I don't know of a natural way of encouraging them to go elsewhere, although we do have piles of rotting wood for them to live among in a different part of the garden. I think they are like ants in that they will pop up in any woodlice friendly place whether that is in our pots of delicious plants or under rotting wood.
As for crocus, yes, the birds do seem to love them - it could be the colour that attracts them or the saffron?
Fond of woodlice? - well there is always one.......!