What pest is eating my tomato seedling?

jenahakchew

I planted tomato seedlings about a month ago.

The plants were bought from Bunnings and something has been chewing up the leaves leaving bare stems. Someone at a nearby nursery said it may be snails,slugs or some nocturnal insects, or even a possum? Attaching some photos and appreciate any advise. Thanks 

Community manager's note: Check out How to protect your plants from possums for expert advice.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @jenahakchew. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about garden pests.

The advice you received sounds about right, as it could have been any one of those that turned your tomato seedling into a tasty snack. If this was done in one night, then I suspect it would be a possum. You might like to check out some of our budget-friendly greenhouses, as even in a small one, you could raise the seedlings to a reasonable size whilst protecting them. You could also install some garden stakes around your garden bed and drape bird netting over them. Make sure to pin the bottom of the netting to the ground with pegs. When accessing the plants, simply fold back the bird netting.

The possums are likely after the tender new growth, and once the seedlings develop further, they will be less likely to snack on them.

Here's a helpful guide on Four ways to protect plants from possums and our ever-popular discussion on Your tips for keeping possums away. There's also a Best Advice article on How do you keep possums away?.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell