What ate my seedling?
 

I grow tomatoe plants in my crawl space under lights. This year, I had a good
germination ratio and the little plants were pushing up into the plastic
covers. I decided it was time to take off the covers. Bad move. I went down
to the crawl
this week to discover that most of the seedlings had their two little leave
chewed off.
The trays are on the ground, so either a mouse or insect did the deed. I have a

mouse trap set, and needless to say have replanted the seedlings with the covers

back on. This never happened before, so I am now on notice. Wondering if the
little shoots without the top leaves will survive? I added some new seeds, just
in
case they don't.

Sherwin D.

What ate my seedling?
 

sherwindu said:

I grow tomatoe plants in my crawl space under lights. This year, I had a
good germination ratio and the little plants were pushing up into the
plastic covers. I decided it was time to take off the covers. Bad move. I
went down to the crawl this week to discover that most of the seedlings
had their two little leave chewed off.

The trays are on the ground, so either a mouse or insect did the deed. I
have a mouse trap set, and needless to say have replanted the seedlings
with the covers back on. This never happened before, so I am now on
notice. Wondering if the little shoots without the top leaves will survive? I
added some new seeds, just in case they don't.

I regularly find sowbugs* that have (most likely) wandered into the lower
level of the house from the front crawlspace. While they aren't usually
a pest outdoors, where they have plenty of opportunities to find moisture
and food, they probably would find an assemblage of moist soil and
tender seedlings in the middle of a mostly barren crawlspace absolutely
irresistable. (This is just a flat-out guess.) Dusting the area around and
under the flat with a heavy coat of diatomaceous earth might help.

And the decapitated plants likely won't make it, or will be extremely
stunted if they do manage not to die.

*pill bug, rolly-polly, slater, wood louse, armadillo bug -- they go by many
names. They are most properly isopods, and are crustaceans.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)