What's eating my lettuces?

[Dotty0]

I'm very new to this gardening lark and have recently started to grow some veggies.  I planted lettuces, Batvia and Longtue(sp) which I bought from my local supermarket here in France.  The plants are about 5 inches in diametre and they have been in the ground for about 10 days.  On close inspection yesterday, I have noticed several of the green lettuces have holes in the leaves.  Can anyone tell me what its likely to be and how to get rid.  I have two cats and three kids, so ideally don't want to use anything harmful to them. 

Thankyou.

Dotty

[Viv]

Slugs are partial to a bit of lettuce. If you don't want to use slug pellets you can make a beer bath, fill a suitable pot with beer  and the slugs are attracted to this, but then you end up  with a load of dead slugs [+o(]

What I use is an old large copper pipe that was sliced up into rings ( like pastry cutters) and I then pop one of these rings over anything that slugs like. It works a treat because slugs bodies cannot cope with copper and they steer well clear.

 

[Dotty0]

Viva

Thankyou.  Any type ot beer, does it have to be that horrid ale type of stuff that old men drink, or can it be lager, I have plenty of that.

Would caterpillars be a likely candidate as well?

Dotty

[Viv]

No any beer / lager should do it, don't waste the good stuff on them [;-)]

It could be caterpillars I suppose, I don't know when they hatch in your neck of the woods, but  check on the underside of the leaf to see if there are any eggs.

Does it seem to be at night that this is happening?  In which case I would think it is more likely to be slugs.

Oh , and be careful that a sudden over night frost doesn't ruin them.

[andyh4]

Any beer will do.

In addition to Viva's advice you could also try to make a barrier around your plants of finely broken eggshells and or coarse sand - slugs and snails don't like having to slide over the rough surface.  Only needs to be a light covering but must make a complete ring around the plants - either each one individually or around a row as a block..

 

Caterpillers are not a likely candidate - especially this early in the season.  Unless of course you have found some on the plants - in which case pick them off by hand.  Caterpillers tend to stay with their food so they won't eat the lettuce and then slink away for a rest and then come back again.

 

[Dotty0]

Andy and Viva.  Thank you.

Haven't seen any caterpillars, so guess its the slugs.  I think I will try and get the buggars drunk.  Also, will put something round the plants themselves. 

Its the first time I've ever grown veggies, so would be a shame if something else got to them first.

Dotty