"limey" wrote in message
...

Bugs are munching their way through my basil. How can I stop this?

They're also munching their way through the rhubarb leaves.

Something attacked my parsley last night - stripped everything down
to the
long stems, clean as a whistle. Thoughts, anyone?

Can someone help, please?

Dora

Have you considered the possibility that your pest has four legs
rather than six? Insects tend to be somewhat plant specific, so it is
unlikely that one pest is eating basil, rhubarb and parsley. Japanese
beetles are an exception and will eat just about anything. These
beetles aren't shy and tend to start at the top of the plant, so you
should be able to see them readily. However, insects don't eat the
entire leaf, leaving nothing. They will eat holes or strip down to the
ribs of the leaf.

My leading candidate is rabbits. My only caveat is that I have all
three of the plants you mention and plenty of rabbits and no damage so
far. Parsley is subject to the larvae of the monarch butterfly, a
striped caterpillar.

If rabbits are your problem, I suggest a cat or a fence.

Guy Bradley
Chesterfield MO
zone 6