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Sat, Aug 2, 08 at 7:27
| I have a large bed of coneflower with very few flowers with complete petals. Most petals are gone or appear to be half chewed away. I notice many yellow finches pick on the seed heads. But do they also feed on the petals? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Nope....you have something else going on there....grasshoppers, Jap beetles perhaps even a caterpiller or worm of some sort. Go out at night with a flash light and see whay you find. Linda C |
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| Goldfinches DO eat petals of certain flowers - I've watched them eat the petals on my Cut & Come again Zinnias. I'm not sure if they eat Coneflower petals?? |
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- Posted by tracey_nj6 6 (My Page) on Sat, Aug 2, 08 at 14:54
| Possibly japanese beetles. I have lots of coneflowers and lots of eaten petals, but this happens every year. It doesn't really bother me all that much so I just never bothered to investigate. I do know that earwigs are always on the coneflowers at night, and while I personally don't think they do any damage, others would disagree and just might be the culprit. Since the goldfinches are all over the coneflowers, maybe they're simply ripping the petals with their feet. |
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| I think it is the Goldfinch. I have watched them tearing out petals of Sunflowers to get to the seeds, and they do the same thing with my zinnias and Indian Summer. Betty |
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