What’s Eating Impatiens at the Base? Beyond Slugs

Common Culprits

If snail bait failed, consider these night-feeding animals:

• Rabbits – clean, angled cuts on stems.
• Chipmunks – dig and chew at base.
• Deer – tear leaves and stems.
• Cutworms – sever stems at soil level.
• Earwigs – hide in mulch, chew stems.

Diagnostic Steps

1. Night inspection with flashlight.
2. Check for tracks, droppings, burrows near plants.
3. Look for cutworms by digging 1–2 inches at base of damaged plants.

Targeted Solutions

• Cutworms: Collars (toilet paper tubes) around stems; Bt or spinosad.
• Earwigs: Rolled newspaper traps; diatomaceous earth.
• Rabbits/chipmunks: 2-ft chicken wire fence buried 6 inches; live traps.
• Deer: Fencing or repellents (rotate products).

Expert Help

Bring a damaged plant sample to a local independent nursery for precise ID and region-specific advice.