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Basil Plants

Q.some animal has eaten all my basil

Zone Mission Viejo,CA (south Orange County) | mvweelass added on September 12, 2015 | Answered

I had a brand new healthy basil plant in pot outside. Two days later each and every branch had been eaten bare. Same thing happened same day to brand new parsley plant. Today all my petunia flowers are missing! My tomatoes are stripped of fruit as well. I have seen rats lately, saw one squirrel months ago (before anything was eaten) and heard we have oppossums in area. It’s not bugs, it’s an animal. What or who is eating these plants to bare stem? The petunia flowers missing started after the herbs were stripped. Nobody is touching my mint.

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Downtoearthdigs
Answered on September 15, 2015

All of the animals you mention can and will eat your plants. If a easy food source is found, they will eat it.

If your plants are in pots you can try putting them indoors in the overnight hours.

Mint has a scent that may deter many animals so the fact that they did not touch the plant is not surprising.

Here are some links for you.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/eliminate-rats-in-gardens.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/get-rid-squirrels.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/possum-control.htm

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