Knowledgebase

What is eating my lettuce? #752451

Asked May 27, 2021, 6:08 AM EDT

Something started eating a couple lettuce plants a few days ago. Another one was totally intact, until this morning when I saw that it had a lot of damage. So something did the damage overnight. In the first photo I turned one of the leaves over so you can see the underside. What is eating my lettuce and what can I do about it besides using pesticides?

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

I think this is slug damage but wildlife may also be involved. I suggest putting out a slug trap (lots of DIY methods on the web and YouTube). But I would also put some netting over the crop and securing it to the ground just in case it's wildlife.

Read the following article:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/identifying_critter_damage_in_the_garden_and_landscape

If nothing is caught in the slug trap then it's an animal. If you want to know what animal is doing the damage you can purchase an inexpensive trail camera and capture a photo of it.

Good luck.

Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 27, 2021, 9:49 AM EDT

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