Helleborus thibetanus pest

[ian mcenery]

I have 3 plants of this hellebore in the garden 2 of which have been attacked for the last 2 years with the result that the flower buds have been destroyed. I think that the damage occurs at or just before the buds break through the ground. I have placed mouse traps, watered with slug and bug killer all to no avail. Maybe I was to late  but I wonder if anyone has any ideas what may be causing this as no other hellebore species or hybrids are affected? Maybe its just tastier than the others

[Maggi Young]

Ian, might it be wood pigeons?

[mark smyth]

the damage is very similar to the remains of snowdrop buds after the slugs/snails have had a go. I wouldnt let that amount of leaves lie over my emerging plants. Nice and cool for nasties

[Tim Murphy]

It looks like slug damage to me too, Ian. I agree with Mark about the fallen leaves; if you turn them over, you'll probably find hundreds of tiny black slugs. They attack all hellebore species here. I have found to my cost that certain types of bark also provide the perfect environment for these slugs. I mulched a bed of Helleborus dumetorum with bark a couple of year ago and every plant emerged with damaged growing tips. I use a much finer grade of bark now and it has helped reduce the damage.

[Lesley Cox]

In case it's a bird, maybe try a basket of fine netting over the plant for a few days until the attraction abates.

[Diane Whitehead]

There are hidden cameras at bank machines and in malls.  I'm not
sure whether they are triggered by someone walking past them, or
whether they just take pictures at pre-set intervals.  I would like to
have a similar camera that will take pictures of my vulnerable plants,
 especially on horrible wet nights when I don't want to be out with a flashlight.
The camera would need to be weather-proof and I wouldn't put anything
good at risk.  Have you heard of anyone doing this?

[ian mcenery]

Thanks for all your comments.
I thought Hellebores had  some toxins which made them less attractive to pests no other hellebores seem to be affected and I have many. Some slug or grub was my best guess originally as the damage if carried out below ground need only be small. I had considered mice but Maggi I hadn't considered wood pigeons so I will make my temporary cover a litle higher to see if that helps.. Lesley I have covers over now so if it is birds it will stop. The problem is if it does stop now will I have found the solution for next year? I can see world war 3 looming against all pests next year.


Tim and Mark it could be slugs but I treated the area with liquid slugit -great stuff by the way - so they must be toughies.  Tim it is especially interesting re your comments about composted bark as I dressed the whole garden with grit and composted bark about 3 years ago in addition to a large amount of compost (which I make each year). So perhaps I may go back to peat (did I really say that).

Diane I think you have the answer but with my luck the pesky creatures would eat something else out of the eye of the camera

I suppose I will just use the belt and bracers approach for next year

[Maggi Young]

Diane, I believe that fairly inexpensive waterproof cameras are available now, so perhaps you could set up a system to watch over your treasures.... you may find a new career as a female David Attenbrough, in the field of nature photography... though he doesn't actually wield the camera, of course! 

It might be fun to try this... worrying if you discover Saskwatch nibbling your shoots, though, eh? 

[Susan Band]

Diane,
You could also leave it on during daylight hours to catch your flowers opening. With a web link you could see any flowers that open and go over when you are on holiday, away at work etc.

[mark smyth]

One my the buds from my plant has been eaten too. Pellets spraed across the garden now

[ian mcenery]

Perhaps thibetanus is more tasty  than others but I leave someone else to try???

[Diane Whitehead]

Sometimes one species of a genus is less toxic than the others.

For instance, deer will not eat any of my various species of Euphorbia,
but they have eaten a lot of E. mellifera.

[Lesley Cox]

We have a "reality" TV thing here made at the Auckland zoo. Animal behaviour, new arrivals, departures, illnesses, zoo babies etc etc. All quite innocuous and feeling good (nothing is cuter than a tiny baby rhino). But last year someone took to dumping a dead cat at the zoo, in the same place, at night about once a week, if I remember rightly. A watch was kept but no joy so a camera was installed in a tree and programmed. Unfortunately I didn't see the following episodes so don't know whether the culprit was caught. This is sounding awfully like a joke where the teller has forgotten the punchline. Sorry.

[David Nicholson]

There used to be a book '1001 uses for a dead cat' quite funny it was. Did you get it in NZ?

[Lesley Cox]

We did David, and a very good book it was too. I gave a copy to a friend who was a cat lover. I don't think we've spoken since.