[TheSpartacat]

Ive got a bit of a mystery on my hands- trying to work out what is eating my seedlings- particularly my basil - i've sown it 4 times now and whatever the culprit is, it especially loves basil!

My seedlings are all under cover/ plastic mini greenhouse cloche. Just after they germinate something is cutting the stems, a little way up- not at soil level, leaving just stumps. I was initially  blaming slugs, but i have slug pellets literally everywhere in the cloche and outside it. I'm not seeing any slugs ANYwhere- and i'm studying the bottoms of pots every day etc. There's no tell tail slug trails or anything
 
And today, they have done the same thing to one of my tomato seedling... and LEFT the leafy bit lying next to the stump.
I also found a cabbage seedling with a perfect crescent cut out of the leaf- again, the bit of the leaf cut away was left behind, so its not being eaten!!

The only things i'm seeing are spiders and ants, and lots of them- but i always thought ants weren't bothered with plants... apart from Leafcutter ants, which are not in this country.

I'm so confused... anyone any ideas what it is?

[JohnB47]

Exactly the same thing happened to my Beetroot seedlings in my shed. Mice droppings showed who the culprit was.

Is there a way into your cloche - even a tiny hole? Or perhaps an area where a mouse might have set up a nest inside?

[BabbyAnn]

or maybe a leaf cutter bee? 

[Aunt Sally]

Yes, it could be mice !

[JayG]

Doesn't sound like slugs have got through your defences; if your protection is definitely bird-proof I'd agree with Aunty Sally's and JohnB47's suggestion (mice can get through incredibly small gaps - squirrels are another possibility, although of course less likely as they're much bigger.)

[TheSpartacat]

Thanks everyone. I know I definitely have both mice and squirrels that frequent the patio outside so i guess it could be either- a mouse could probably squeeze under, and going by the shennanigans i've seen my squirrels up to (draggiing whole net sacks of peanuts down the garden, stolen from the bird feeder)- i wouldnt put it past them to lift up the cloche if they wanted in badly enough.
My money is on mice though, because it seems to happen overnight.

Oh phooey.. i'll try weighting it down some more/ and set up an obstacle course of used cat litter (just kidding)

Thanks again

[Salmo]

You could set a trap. SNAP!!!!

[Paul Plots]

You could set a trap. SNAP!!!!

I think I'd try several traps!!

[TheSpartacat]

Oh i just couldn't... Call me mad but the last mouse that the cat chased into the house i spent a whole day trying to rescue. He foiled my attempts to catch him with a pint glass (cumbersome) so i ended up just grabbing him with my hands and putting him outside. He left a tooth lodged in my hand for the trouble, but... Toothy the one-tooth mouse survived to see another day....

I'm a big softy... If they are outside, i respect nature and leave them be. If they try to move into my house, well thats a matter for the cats...

I'll outwit this mouse another way...
 

[8doubles]

Oh i just couldn't... Call me mad but the last mouse that the cat chased into the house i spent a whole day trying to rescue. He foiled my attempts to catch him with a pint glass (cumbersome) so i ended up just grabbing him with my hands and putting him outside. He left a tooth lodged in my hand for the trouble, but... Toothy the one-tooth mouse survived to see another day....

I'm a big softy... If they are outside, i respect nature and leave them be. If they try to move into my house, well thats a matter for the cats...

I'll outwit this mouse another way...
 

 This mouse plus 5-6 young which will start breeding in 30 days .  :blink:

[Paul Plots]

Oh i just couldn't... Call me mad but the last mouse that the cat chased into the house i spent a whole day trying to rescue. He foiled my attempts to catch him with a pint glass (cumbersome) so i ended up just grabbing him with my hands and putting him outside. He left a tooth lodged in my hand for the trouble, but... Toothy the one-tooth mouse survived to see another day....

I'm a big softy... If they are outside, i respect nature and leave them be. If they try to move into my house, well thats a matter for the cats...

I'll outwit this mouse another way...
 

 This mouse plus 5-6 young which will start breeding in 30 days .  :blink:

I think I'd sooner stick with slugs as they don't move so fast. Yuck!! 

[8doubles]

I think I'd sooner stick with slugs as they don't move so fast. Yuck!! 

How many do you want?, this drop of rain has certainly brought them out.

[Paul Plots]

I think I'd sooner stick with slugs as they don't move so fast. Yuck!! 

How many do you want?, this drop of rain has certainly brought them out.

The value of my shares in slug bait will be climbing. 

[Salmo]

I have one of these traps that traps them live and holds several. Record so far is 4 at once. Take them on a jourey and let them go - after a thorough ticking off of course

[Paul Plots]

I have a half-moon slug slicer but my wife insists on using it to edge the lawn.