# Hostas being Eaten!



## lsk5013 (Aug 14, 2020)

Hoping to get come collective knowledge and thoughts...I have some recently planted Hostas in a shade garden here in GA. However, I'm noticing more and more that their leaves are being eaten including the veins. At this point, some leaves are half gone and eaten away!  I have tried creating a ring around them with Bonide Bug and Slug Killer, but doesn't seem to be that effective (including multiple applications). In case it's helpful, I have a combination Guacomole, Patriot, and Francee Hostas that receive full shade and mulched.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated as to keep the bugs and pests away! (e.g. is there something I can spray on the leaves to discourage activity)


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## Cluelessone (Sep 23, 2020)

Could it be a small rodent?

I lost a bunch of plants this spring to chipmunks before I figured out wtf was going on...


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

Deer just love hostas. Of course, its pretty hard not to notice them. When a deer is done munching all you have left are the stems.

Slugs love hostas too. They sort of eat large holes in them and leave more of the leaf than deer do.

I would guess slugs or snails. I've never had much luck with slug killers. They're going to eat the tastiest item on the menu first, which must be your hostas.

It might also be rabbits. Rabbits will eat a plant down to the ground but they also do most of their damage early in the year when the plants are just beginning to pop out of the ground.


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## lsk5013 (Aug 14, 2020)

So I highly doubt it's rabbits or deer. The Hostas are inside a fenced in backyard. Small wins. Chipmunks and squirrels are probable causes, but the holes seem so small and their pattern makes it seem like slugs or chipmunks. Any defense against those or suggestions on a deterrent?


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## Cluelessone (Sep 23, 2020)

For slugs - depends on if you have pets/kids. If yes, then you're limited to the slug baits that don't work very well, or slug traps which I've had mixed success with. If no, order the "old school" slug bait with metaldehyde in it. Note that metaldehyde is extremely dangerous to pets and kids.

Chipmunks - rat traps.


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## dleonard11122 (Jun 24, 2020)

Some of ours were eaten by rabbits. We only know for sure because we actually saw them eating them from out a window.


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