The top of our young newly planted pepper plants keep getting sheared off by some critter. We thought it was rabbits so I put up a chicken wire fence around them. however today I noticed the replanted ones have been sheared off also we’ve never had this problem before. Could birds be doing this, Or something else?
Asked
Active
Viewed 83 times
3
tsnider
- 31
- 2
-
Are there any marks in the soil surrounding the plants that might give a clue to the agent of destruction? – Colin Beckingham Jun 03 '21 at 20:07
-
1Do you have deer in your area? They like to nip the tops off of herbaceous plants, because that's the most tender part. – csk Jun 04 '21 at 02:42
-
Wind damage? Check around for broken-off bits. – Boba Fit Feb 24 '23 at 18:14
2 Answers
1
It could be any of the following:
- Caterpillars
- Pillbugs (Sometimes they mow down young plants if there's a lot of organic matter around them.)
- Rats
- Ants (It seems like ants did this to a tomato of mine, this year. I don't have proof, but there were ants crawling on or around the severed plant before and after the event.)
- Deer
I have my doubt that it's birds, but I guess it's possible.
Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
- 18,214
- 5
- 29
- 65
0
It's definitely not ants, we have ants galore on our tomatoes, chilies, and peppers. None of them lose their tips. They are in a bird-free enclosure though. Rats and mice can still get in, so it's probably not them either.
My guess would be birds or slightly larger animals. Larger animals such as deer would cause more damage. It is most probably rabbits.
7. Rabbits
Rabbits are fairly indiscriminate feeders and will eat just about any of the plants in your garden.They do not generally go for mature pepper plants, but are quite keen feeders and will choose to eat the new shoots and young leaves.
Occasionally, they will eat the young fruit but generally concentrate on the leaves and even stems.
From What is Eating My Pepper Plants at Night? 8 Worst Pests
Rohit Gupta
- 2,465
- 2
- 6
- 24