My beautiful gladioli buds are gone

Any chance of a photo? The pigeons here peck the leaves not stalks and leave plenty of droppings wherever they go.

I haven’t planted mine yet! Is it too late do you think?

Are you sure there aren't squirrels around? They can climb, a 6ft fence would be no problem at all.

They've eaten my tulips.

Could be pigeons, they seem to eat anything. I once had a huge flock of starlings descend on my elder bush and devour all the elderberries in just a few minutes. Gone were my plans for making elderberry wine!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202405/medium-666077-img-0727.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202405/medium-477549-img-0728.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202405/medium-749305-img-0729.jpeg

It s definitely not squirrels I ve lived here 40 years and spent my childhood here too, never ever seen a squirrel
I have noticed a pair of pigeons in my tree which haven’t visited before I m beginning to think they are the culprits
Anyone got a catapult ?

Thanks for the photos. If it's pigeons you should see bits of the leaves that have dropped off as they pecked. They jab at leaves and aren't as 'tidy' as slugs. Well, this is Cornish pigeons anyway. 😊

Looks like slug damage to me. As Mizuna said, if it were pigeons pecking at them I would expect to see bits of leaves dropped around the plants, which is what I see when they have a feast on my brassica plants!

Pheasants? They love eating the flowers - especially the colourful ones - off graves in our churchyard.

The pigeons were having a feast on the weeds around the raspberry canes the other day, really enjoying them.

It's been weeded since.

Ahh thanks probably is slugs/ snails then such big holes little buggers as I haven’t seen any bits on the ground

no, no pheasants here septima as I said I m on a main road through a town, no wild birds around except the small ones sparrows blackbirds starlings plus an occasional tit or wren plus seagulls and pigeons
Thanks I ll have to rethink for next year

Agree slugs (or bloody buggering slugs as they are known here)

Slugs are nasty destructive things that sneak in when youre either not looking or asleep, gutting BlueBelle

Looks like slug or snail damage to me .
They love tender leaves and stems .
My Iris have suffered this year .
I've tried some natural deterrents and they were a waste of money .
I used to pick off every slug and snail and squash them dead and put them on a bird feeding tray .
But I was ringing the dinner bell for my neighbour's four cats .
I'm trying garlic spray at the moment .

Looks like slugs. We used to be plagued by them, but since my last cat died we have so many garden birds & proportionately less slug damage. When I find them I just throw them into the middle of the lawn far from shelter & rely on the birds picking them off.

It’s been so wet recently that the slugs/ snails have had a field day. They ate all my daffodil flowers.

Looks like the damage slugs have inflicted on my rhubarb; some leaves are like lace and stalks have been rasped as well. Pesky slimy things.