Pakistan Gardening Forum

There is something that is just cutting off my seedlings leaves right from their base. It appear its fond of vandalism rather than a eater.
Most probably its not an insect.....My guess. I have done thorough inspection at different timings of the day, and found nothing. However still the seedling have been sheared in the morning.
Its not slug/snail. As none could be find at the crime scene...and they are too slow to vanish off from the place. I also dusted pyretherin and no dead bodies as such to find

Could it be birds?
Any worm?
How to deter them?

That is a disaster. I strongly think these are birds (if not children). "May-na" are fond of hopping on the ground and pecking things around. A wire mesh might work once you catch the culprit bird.

A quick web search shows similar experiences on marigolds one of them is on Garden web "If there's pieces of marigold all over the ground, it might be starlings (blackbirds). Every year I get a mob of them come through my yard, peck all my marigolds apart, peck holes in my peas and zucchini, and leave. "

It could be sparrow or any other bird but other than that there is bee that makes a hole in ground and take some soil away and also damages the plant it maybe it.

Culprits: Birds!

I've kept pigeons and chickens and rabbits for about 6 years now- this year I sold them all- so I know what bird damage is. Rabbit damage is worse. You will need to net the area, see if u can find fishing net. Thats what I use, its cheap, strong and durable!

Although I've never had this problem with marigolds, nobody ever touched em!

seems to be bird's demage.

Hmmm thanks all. Unanimous opinion seems to be birds. This is first time they are misbehaving, though yet to be caught red handed . They must be doing it with first light. Let see what can be done with physical barrier. lot of borders to secure.

Fahan last year birds damaged my Sonnet too much after they were in the final rows. Its good if you dust all the plants so that they are not easily visible.

Same problem with me and i found out sparrows are behind it.They like some of the 'sweet' plants and Marigold are one of them.They completely destroyed one of my new potted kiari.

Update. I covered the seedling beds with newspaper sheets. Still one odd seedling was damaged in the morning.....

Just a thought. What if an alternate food source such as kitchen leftovers are placed for bird feeding would that cause them to leave the plants alone (if its birds).

Farhan Ahmed wrote:Update. I covered the seedling beds with newspaper sheets. Still one odd seedling was damaged in the morning.....

Just a thought. What if an alternate food source such as kitchen leftovers are placed for bird feeding would that cause them to leave the plants alone (if its birds).

Maybe then more birds will come and then their ancestors will also come.