Slugs, Japanese Beetles, and a variety of Caterpillars eat Morning Glories. Cotton Aphids, Leafminers and Spider mites eat Morning Glories. Animals like Rats, Rabbits, Deer, Groundhogs, and Chipmunks eat Morning Glories. Birds like sparrows eat Morning Glories too.
Morning Glories are grown for their beautiful flowers. Gardeners love to grow them in their gardens.
As their name suggests, they bloom their heart out early in the morning. Morning Glory is a vine that grows wonderfully in hanging baskets too.
Not only you and I, but a variety of pests and animals also love Morning Glories too. They love devouring these beautiful plants.
Let’s see what those pests are and discuss how to protect your Morning Glories from them!
Do Snails/Slugs eat Morning Glories?
Yes, snails and slugs can devour the entire Morning Glory vines. These pests attack your precious vines at night.
Snails and slugs leave behind a slimy trail as they go through your garden. Slimy trails are the primary signs of their presence.
If you see slimy trails and punctured leaves, you can confirm their presence. They can devour entire plants overnight.
Slugs not only devour the foliage, but they also feed on the flowers and buds.
Ways to get rid of slugs/snails on Morning Glories
You can control slug populations in your garden if you apply a combination of the below methods.
- Go out into your garden at night with a torchlight. Pick them off by hand and throw them into a bucket of soapy water. This works when the population is low.
- Surround your precious plants in a circlet of Diatomaceous earth/coarse sand/broken egg shells. These act as a barrier between your Morning Glories and slugs.
- Erect a barrier of copper foil around your Morning Glories to preven a slug infestation.
- Set up beer traps. Pour beer in a cup. Dig a hole and place this cup inside so that only a centimeter of it is above the ground. Let the slugs gather in the cup. Dispose of these pests in the morning.
What bugs attack Morning Glories?
Insects like Japanese Beetles, Cotton Aphids, Spider mites, Leafcutters, and Leafminers attack Morning Glories.
Do Morning Glories attract Japanese beetles?
Yes, Japanese Beetles eat Morning Glory leaves. They punch holes into the Morning Glory foliage.
Leaves look like lace on a victim Morning Glory. A severe infestation could even kill your Morning Glory plant.
Japanese Beetles can be easily identified. They have brown wings and shiny green heads.
How do you get rid of Japanese beetles on Morning Glories?
- Try to control these pests as soon as you see a few as they multiply rapidly.
- Japanese Beetles are quite slow eary in the morning. Take a bucket of soapy water. Shake the branches on which you see these beetles. They’ll fall into the bucket.
- You can also setup Japanese Beetle traps to attract these pests.
What Caterpillar eating Morning Glory?
Caterpillars of a variety of Moths and Butterflies love to feed on Morning Glory leaves. All caterpillars do the same kind of damage to plants.
A green caterpillar named Leafcutter attacks Morning Glory. These eat holes into the leaves of Morning Glory.
Some of these even bore into the tender stems. Large populations can decimate the entire Morning Glory plant.
They crawl around your prized plants eating as they go. You need to respond as soon as you even one caterpillar on the plant.
Ways to get rid of Caterpillars on Morning Glory
- Pick them off by hand and throw them into a bucket of soapy water. This works best when the infestation is just beginning.
- Mix 1/2 teaspoon of Bacilus thuringiensis (Bt) in a gallon of water and mix well. Spray this solution onto the affected parts of your Morning Glory.
- You can also dust Bacillus thuringiensis directly on your Morning Glories.
Cotton Aphids on Morning Glories
Cotton Aphids are the common pests of Morning Glories. Cotton Aphids are sap-sucking insects that feed on the leaves.
Cotton Aphids come in many colors, ranging from yellow to black. These pests attack your Morning Glories in morning.
These insects aren’t quite visible to the naked eye, thanks to their tiny size. Affected leaves turn yellow and shriveled.
One can see populations of these insects on the affected leaves. So, how do you get rid of them?
Ways to get rid of Cotton Aphids on Morning Glories
- Dislodge the insects by spraying water forcefully on the affected areas.
- Wipe the affected areas using a cotton bud that’s dipped in rubbing alcohol.
- You can spray Neem oil on the affected Morning Glories too.
- If the infection is too severe, spray Insecticidal soap on the affected parts of your Morning Glories.
Spider mites on Morning Glories
Spider mites are tiny sap-sucking insects that feed on the leaves and other appendages of Morning Glories.
Their presence can be confirmed if you see webcasts around your leaves, flowers, and flower buds.
Spider mite feeding habits turn the leaves yellow. Affected leaves become wilted.
Dislodge these insects by spraying water forcefully on the affected parts. You can also eliminate these insects by spraying Neem oil or Insecticidal soap on them.
Related: Why Morning Glories fail to bloom.
Leafminers on Morning Glories
Leafminers, as their name suggests make their paths through the leaves by eating them. They can damage your Morning Glory greatly.
Leafminer damage is quite unique. They burrow through the leaves, leaving a white-colored trail on the affected leaves.
Spray Neem oil on the affected Morning Glory plants to eliminate these pesky pests naturally.
How do I keep bugs from eating my Morning Glories?
Below are a few instructions to keep bugs from eating your precious Morning Glories.
- Hang yellow, sticky cards around your Morning Glory plants. This move helps you identify any infestation early on.
- Spray Neem oil on your plant once you see some kind of movement on the plant.
- You may also spray Insecticidal soap on the affected parts of the plant to keep bugs in control.
- Don’t ever use chemical insecticides to counter these pests. Chemical insecticides kill beneficial insects that prey on the harmful pests.
Homemade pesticide for Morning Glory
Below are some organic pesticides that you can use to control bugs on your Morning Glory.
- Neem oil: Neem oil is quite effective in eliminate a variety of pests. Dilute Neem oil in water and spray it on affected plants. You may want to spray it more than once for it to work efficiently.
- You may also want to spray Insecticidal soap on your Morning Glory.
What animal eats Morning Glories?
Rats, Rabbits, Deer, Chipmunks, and Groundhogs love to eat Morning Glories. Birds like Sparrows also eat Morning Glories.
Do Rats eat Morning Glories?
Yes, rats can eat Morning Glories. They feed on flowering plants if they got nothing else to munch on.
You can keep rats away from your precious plants by erecting a fence around your morning glory vine. You may also wanna spray peppermint oil around your Morning Glories.
Do Squirrels eat Morning Glories?
No, I’ve had squirrels in my garden for years now but I have never seen them eat my Morning Glories. Maybe they just don’t like the plant.
Do Rabbits eat Morning Glories?
Yes, rabbits eat Morning Glories. Morning Glory is one of those plants on which rabbits love to munch on.
You can keep rabbits away from the plants by erecting a fence. You can also add visual deterrents to the garden.
Do Deer eat Morning Glories?
Yes, Deer eat Morning Glory leaves and flowers. The seeds are actually poisonous to animals, so deer typically avoid eating the seeds.
Create a fence around your precious plants by planting pungent perennials around ’em. You can also do this by planting thorny plants around your valuable plants.
Do Chipmunks eat Morning Glories?
Yes, Chipmunks eat Morning Glories. Chipmunks can munch on the tender stems. They are active at night.
You can keep Chipmunks away by spraying hot pepper spray around your favorite plants.
Do Groundhogs eat morning glories?
Yes, Groundhogs do eat Morning Glory leaves. They can devour the entire plant if there are enough of those critters.
Keep them away from your Morning Glories by erecting a chicken wire fence around them.
Do Birds eat Morning Glory flowers?
Yes, birds do eat Morning Glory flowers. I’ve seen sparrows eat my Morning Glories. They don’t eat the seeds though.
It’s actually nice as they attract these wonderful birds.
Do you think your Morning Glory is turning invasive? This is a nice article on how to get rid of it for good!
Happy Gardening 🙂