This Bug, That Bug

digitS'

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I will pretend that it isn't a pest.

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There are moth caterpillars that only feed on decaying plant material on the soil surface – mulch. So, they play a role in making compost, dontcha know? ;) Yeah, probably showed up after playing a role devastating some crop.

Hey, I found what I will guessed was a baby cricket on the kitchen floor this morning. Was he? Well, he couldn't jump so probably not. Carried him outside. Can't take on too much responsibility for being ignorant.

:) Steve
 

digitS'

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grasshopper feasting
Ack!

No, I have low tolerance for anything abusing plant garden partners.

We have had such a long relationship with lilies. We have given so many things (and people) the name. I was just reading about the etymology of the word. It is very old and may be related to the word "flower."

Grasshoppers, on the other hand ... I understand that they have decimated some gardens in Colorado this year.

Steve
 

Shades-of-Oregon

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Grasshopper infestation is a nightmare. A few years ago in Colorado there was a huge infestation. You couldn’t walk out side without batting away the huge locusts. I had several ducks at the time. They were quick on their webbed toes and ate so many they could barely waddle around. It was terrifying. Cars were smeared , they were a mess. Kind of thinking about the bible story’s sending locusts to devour crops - the wrath of nature wiping out everything in its path.
At lest the lil hopper on my lily was a tiny pigmie grasshopper, not a huge locust.

Anyone named Lilly always has the effect on others memory as a beautiful flower.

Any hoo the lily flower has completely opened today with very little damage . I may take a paint brush dust the rest of the buds with diatomaceous earth .
 

Phaedra

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Pest or not, anyway, we finally have this leopard slug in our garden. I am not sure if they really 'hunt' those Spanish slugs, but I also have the gut feeling that these leopard slugs would also cause some damages to the plants.

What is your experience? I do want to put both spices together and see what will happen.
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digitS'

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I think that studies on the leopard slug may represent an example of the enthusiasm of scientists for something unusual.

OMG they have unique colors and move relatively quickly! OMG they eat other slugs! OMG they mate in mid-air!

What I see as the dust and slime settles is they eat plants. The research says "primarily" plants. It may be the immatures that do the feasting but the number of eggs from each slug deposit is noted as "hundreds."
 

flowerbug

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Pest or not, anyway, we finally have this leopard slug in our garden. I am not sure if they really 'hunt' those Spanish slugs, but I also have the gut feeling that these leopard slugs would also cause some damages to the plants.

What is your experience? I do want to put both spices together and see what will happen.
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such beautiful creatures, it is too bad they can be so destructive in the gardens.
 
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