Something Is Eating My Sunflowers at Night

Identification

• Slugs are difficult to control and very damaging to a variety of garden plants. Young seedlings are damaged most often, causing entry wounds that can allow fungi to enter the plant. According to Colorado State University, slugs are classified as gastropods, which are related to clams and mussels. Identifying slug infestation may be difficult, since slugs feed only at night.

Signs And Symptoms

• Slugs damage sunflowers by rasping their leaves with their mouth-parts. These pests may eventually consume entire leaves, seeds and flowers of infested plants. Sunflowers with slug infestations may have telltale trails of slime visible on the foliage. Slugs hide themselves underneath leaf litter and rocks during the daytime and come out after dark to feed. Damp, humid weather is prime for slug activity, since these pests thrive when moisture levels are high.

Natural Control Options

• There are a few natural ways to keep slugs from damaging your sunflowers. Remove all leaf litter and fallen plant debris from your garden, as this gives slugs a hiding place during the day. Use trickle irrigation systems, because they use less water and keep humidity low around your plants. If overhead watering systems are used, water early in the day so plant leaves dry completely before nightfall. Placing crushed eggshells or coffee grounds around the base of your sunflowers; this provides a scratchy surface that slugs must cross to feed, which discourages these pests. Fermenting products such as beer attract slugs. Place a pan of beer near your sunflowers to attract slugs, where they will fall in and drown.

Chemical Control

• While salt will kill slugs, it can also damage your plants, making it an undesirable choice for control. Chemical products known as molluscicides are available at your local garden center for slug control. These products typically contain the active ingredient metaldehyde, which causes slugs to dehydrate and die. Molluscicides are sold in granular forms, pastes and gels.