What's eating my vegetable starter plants?

[TheMrs]

I need some help from those more experienced than me!

I have some seeds started for the garden. Currently the seeds are on a vertical shelving unit in my living room in front of our south-facing windows. I have some broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage planted as well as some herbs. We left on a short trip and returned Friday evening. Everything was fine when we left, but when we returned I noticed that nearly all of my cabbage plants had been chewed off. Twelve of the seedlings were totally gone..no sign of anything left behind. One of the seedlings was chewed on, but the leafy top was left laying in the pot. Only one of my cabbage was left intact. This morning I noticed that one of my cauliflower plants was chewed in half with the leafy top left lying in the pot.

When we returned home from our trip I also noticed that a mouse had gotten into the house. We've tried for two nights now to catch the thing, but it's still on the loose. Could this mouse be eating my plants? I haven't noticed any mouse droppings near the plants. Is there something else that could be eating them?

I'd appreciate any help you can give! Thanks!

[ceresone]

If you don't have Cats--I'd bet on the Mouse

[TheMrs]

Originally Posted by ceresone

If you don't have Cats--I'd bet on the Mouse

Thanks for your reply. No, no cats inside the house. I'm having DH pick up some glue traps on his way home from work today. The snap traps just don't seem to be working. The mouse needs to be gone!

[LettucePatch]

I had the same thing happen to many of my pepper, tomato, flower and herb starts. I was so mad at that mouse since I had started the peppers 3 weeks before! We set out mouse traps and glue traps all around the trays. So far, nothin. But I know there is a mouse in the house somewhere.

[Danaus29]

On the ones with the stems chewed, are they bitten clear through? Those sound a bit like damping off. Although mice can and will eat seedlings. I lost a few flats to mice a couple years ago. I set snap traps and caught half a dozen mice and still lost seedlings.

With snap traps they usually have to be reworked a bit to get them to go off easily. I sand the little metal piece where it goes under the catch so it operates smoothly and easily. Then I bait with chocolate frosting. Never had a mouse pass up chocolate frosting.

[jd4020]

I just caught the mouse that has been eating my lettuce, broccoli, & cabbage seedlings. He even dug up seeds and pooed in the empty hole.
Now I have to start all over. grrr...
I usually bait my traps with a small bit of peanut butter. Then I feed said mouse to the cats. Hope you catch the little varmint.
God bless,
jd

[Horseyrider]

I was thinking mice by just reading the title of this thread.

Once I had some troubles like this. Peppers mainly, but cabbages too. At first I thought it was damping off, but I was so careful to make sure that didn't happen. Then I saw a couple of droppings, so one afternoon I set a trap.

I was in the next room ironing less than an hour later when I heard the trap snap. Sure enough, I had a mouse. Something told me to reset the trap and continue ironing. Long story short, before the ironing was done, I caught seven mice. Boy, did I feel stupid.

I placed bait in the place where I figured they were getting in (behind the washing machine, not much fun to find or fill) and reset the trap. Fortunately they didn't get past the bait, and my remaining seedlings lasted long enough to plant.

Since then, whenever I start seedlings, I get out the traps and bait a week or so before. Haven't lost much since.

[TheMrs]

Update...mouse was caught Monday night and there haven't been any more damaged seedlings since. Hopefully that was the one and only varmint in the house. Thanks for all of your help!

[ronbre]

well I never...glad I have two hungry cats !!