Help - what is eating my plants?

[hank123]

I have a few plants outside and something is eating on them. It seems only to happen where I pinch the plant. I have 3 ideas, Grasshoppers, squirrels, or mice or the odd chance chickens. I think mice or the squirrels.
I need to keep these as short as possible and we are weeks away from the start of flower. I don't need 6-foot-tall plants.

I did spray neem oil a 2 days ago to help get down the grasshoppers and we have very light aphids too. I think the aphids will die soon. Been 5 straight days of 100f temps.
Thank you for your help.

 

[Phytoplankton]

If it were chickens they’d be a lot more damage and shredding. Doubtful it’s mice, and a rabbit would cause a lot more damage (like eating the main stalk). My guess is a grasshopper/cricket, or a caterpillar of some kind. With that damage it’s not small.

 

[hank123]

It is always where I pinch my plants. So some of the juices are drawing what ever it is to it.

What kills grasshoppers fast that I can use?

some people say it is squirrels. and I saw a few around. Right next to my plants

 

[Sueet]

Have you been using the same pinch method for a long time? Just wondering if you are doing too much damage when you speak of juices, I never break the skin when I pinch a plant.

 

[SmokingWings]

Have you been using the same pinch method for a long time? Just wondering if you are doing too much damage when you speak of juices, I never break the skin when I pinch a plant.

This /\ /\ /\ that Sueet mentions.

Why are you pinching the stem in the new growth area? Are you removing any bark from the stem after you pinch it?

 

[Gee64]

We have pack rats in my region. That is exactly what there damage looks like. They like to chew tops off of plants and leave them laying around.

 

[Bill284]

@Sierra Natural Science #209 for bugs.
Also Dr Zymes and lastly neem oil.
All good for pests.


Stay safe
Bill284

 

[hank123]

Have you been using the same pinch method for a long time? Just wondering if you are doing too much damage when you speak of juices, I never break the skin when I pinch a plant.

Yes breaking them pretty good around the new growth. Going for big knots in them, tight nodes, keeping the height down, etc. The height I think I'm fucked because flower is 3-4 weeks out.

someone pointed him out on a different forum. You can see him just below the cut in the first photo posted. A Grasshopper or a caterpillar.