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I wonder if anyone could solve a puzzle for me? I planted over 200 bee friendly bulbs in my garden, but unfortunately due to the very wet winter of 2013 many rotted. The snake's head fritillaries have generally been successful, but I've suffered another frustration. I'm used to holes being bored into the flowers before they fully open, I believe this may be pollinator insects taking a short cut as the holes look too neat for slugs. However, something is now taking to lopping the flowers off completely. Frustratingly it is happening just before they open and not before. It doesn't look like slug damage, although I stand to be corrected, as there are no remains of the flowers left. Could it be mice? As there are a few in the garden or perhaps birds? I wouldn't have thought it was the latter, but I've had the pleasure of watching a blue tit fastidiously pecking either pollen or perhaps insects out of the flowers of a winter flowering clematis (Chinese origin) several times, which was a surprise. So haven't ruled anything out.
I haven't had any success searching the internet. I know lily beetles are a pest, but thought it'd be the larva attacking the builbs.
Hello JJS, just a suggestion, do you have rabbits? They can nibble and eat, plants and flowers,
Hello, no rabbits. I should have mentioned I'm in South East London. The damage is exclusive to these plants. The only other obvious signs of pests is slug damage to a clematis about 12ft away
Can you creep out at night with a torch & try & see if it is slugs? That is my guess, they create havoc in my primulas! They eat the heads & tops of stalks.
Thanks Hazel, I'll have to check. I was hoping it wasn't slugs as I'd have no chance of eradicating them.
If you do find it is slug damage try sinking a few beer traps in amongst plants to waylay them!!
Are the heads gone completely or just knocked off and lying there? Could well be slugs or snails, but the stems of these flowers are incredibly brittle - I have accidentally decapitated several of mine. This could be passing birds or animals.
If it is slugs, night-time hunts are very successful, 2 or 3 nights usually gets most of them!
Thanks Greenlady, the heads are CV completely gone.