Slugs and caterpillars are the main pests that eat your marigold. Japanese beetles and grasshoppers also feed on marigolds. Aphids, spider mites, rabbits, also munch on marigolds.
Marigolds are one of the easiest and beautiful annuals to grow with Compact yellow to deep orange flowers.
The pungent aroma and taste of marigolds wards off many unwanted pests but they do run into some issues.
There are some pests that like to devour your marigolds. Let’s see how to control pests and animals from eating your marigolds.
What is stripping my Marigolds?
Slugs and caterpillars are the main pests that strip your marigolds. Grasshoppers and Japanese beetles also eat marigolds.
How to stop slugs from eating Marigolds?
Slugs come out at night and feed on marigolds as they feed on your plant they leave a slime trail on your plant.
- Handpick the slugs during night/early in the morning (as they are nocturnal ) and drop them in a bucket of soapy water.
- You can trap slugs by placing a bowl of beer near your marigold overnight and they’ll gather in that bowl. Throw them in a bucket of soapy water.
- Place a copper ring around your marigolds so that slugs can’t climb over them.
- Add a 2-inch layer of rough mulch(crushed egg shells, wood ashes, and nut hulls ) to prevent slugs.
- Clean up the leaf debris and keep the ground clean so that slugs don’t have any hiding place.
How to protect Marigolds from pests?
You can drench your marigolds with hot pepper and garlic spray this repels the pests.
Clear the fallen leaves and other debris around your marigolds. This deprives the pests of their hiding places.
By growing your marigolds in hanging baskets you can control slugs and other animals.
Do ants eat Marigolds?
No, ants do not eat your Marigolds. They are attracted to the plant because of the honeydew secreted by aphids
Ants also carry aphids to new places so that they can get honeydew from aphids.
Why are ants on my Marigolds?
If you see ants on your marigolds, it is a good indication of the presence of aphids.
Ants are attracted to honeydew excreted by the aphids as a result of sucking the plant sap.
Aphids suck the sap of plants as a result the leaves get curled and become yellow and also the plant becomes stunted.
How do you get rid of spider mites on Marigolds ?
Spider mites build white webs on the leaves and leave white blotches on the leaves. Severe infestation causes yellow spots on the foliage.
- Spray Neem oil solution on your marigolds to control spider mites.
- Spray insecticidal soap solution on marigolds.
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth on marigolds will dehydrate the spider mites and kill them.
- Soak cotton balls in alcohol and wipe across the foliage of your marigold, let it sit for a few hours, and then rinse the leaves with water thoroughly.
What is eating my Marigold leaves?
Slugs and caterpillars munch on marigold leaves besides them grasshoppers and Japanese beetles also feed on marigolds.
Rabbits, gophers, squirrels, chipmunks, rats also feed on your marigold leaves.
You need to look closely at the damage done to the leaves to identify the culprit. For example, slugs leave a slimy trail behind.
What insect is eating my Marigolds?
Grasshoppers, Caterpillars, and Japanese Beetles munch on your Marigold plants. Aphids, Spider mites, and Earwigs feed on Marigolds too.
Caterpillars also eat the leaves and flowers of marigolds.
Grasshoppers munch on the marigolds they start eating from the margins of leaves during the daytime.
Japanese beetles also feed on marigold leaves.
How do I keep bugs from eating my Marigolds?
It’s always best to prevent the infestation rather than treating an infected plant.
- Hang yellow sticky cards around the marigolds to identify insect pests early on.
- Clear the fallen leaves and other debris around the marigolds this will deprive the pests of their hiding places.
- Use neem oil spray if you observe any bugs on the Marigold plant.
- Drench your Marigold with hot pepper and garlic spray.
What animals eat Marigolds?
Rabbits, Rats, Squirrels, and Possums eat Marigold plants. Go out at night to catch some of these nocturnal pests of Marigolds.
Do rabbits eat Marigolds?
Yes, rabbits munch on marigolds; their presence can be identified by their droppings or by observing the actual rabbits.
Erect a fence around the plants to prevent them from eating your marigolds.
Plant your marigolds in hanging baskets.
You can use rabbit repellent sprays to prevent them from eating your marigolds.
Do rats eat Marigolds?
Yes, rats sometimes eat marigolds when they don’t have any other plants to eat as they are nocturnal they feed during the night.
You can prevent rat damage by planting them in hanging baskets.
Clean the ground around your garden clean so that rats don’t have any hiding places.
Do squirrels eat Marigolds?
Squirrels would try to munch on marigolds when they are in dire need of food
They may also damage the plant even accidentally while moving around.
Growing your marigolds in hanging baskets prevents damage by squirrels.
Do possums eat Marigolds?
Yes, possums sometimes eat marigolds when they don’t have any other food sources.
Plant your marigolds in hanging baskets to prevent the damage of possums.
Do birds hate Marigolds?
No, birds do not hate marigolds. They don’t necessarily eat marigolds but they are attracted to slugs and caterpillars so they tear up plants in search of them.
The easiest way to protect marigolds from birds is to cover them with nets or grow them in tomato cages.
Do lizards eat Marigolds?
No, lizards do not feed on marigolds but they feed on insects that feed on marigolds so keep the insects at bay.
So, don’t try to keep lizards away from your plants. They might look like the bad guys but they are not!
Do Earwigs eat Marigolds?
Yes, they eat marigolds but they are more of a friend than foe as they eat aphids, snails, slugs. So, don’t spray insecticides on them.
They are just a part of a healthy garden. It only becomes a problem when their populations rise rapidly which rarely happens.
They are considered serious if only the damage caused by them is very high.
Clean the debris around the plants so that they don’t have any hiding places.
What is eating Marigolds at night?
Slugs and rats are the culprits of eating marigolds at night as they are nocturnal.
They only feed during the night and hide during the day. This becomes a problem as it’s hard to find the culprit.
Slug damage can be identified by the presence of slime trails along with the plant.
Go out at night with a torchlight and you will find the pests that are damaging your wonderful Marigolds.
Happy Growing 🙂