By Griseldarose
London,
United Kingdom 
I have just planted out a 'winter window box' on my ground floor (external) window ledge. The ivy and cyclamen are doing fine (although the latter wilted a bit when the sun shone for too long, but now October is here they are looking much better). But the white pansies and purple primroses are being eaten (the flowers only). I have grown (purple/yellow) dwarf pansies and (yellow) primroses in pots on the ground in my back garden for years, and the flowers have never been eaten. I thought that the height (above ground) of a window box would make it even less likely that anything would get to it. Can anyone suggest what could be the culprit? I live in north London, so it is not sparrows, which seem to have become extinct here. There are no slug or snail trails. I am stumped. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.
13 Oct, 2014
Answers
Caterpillars would be my first thought, then slugs/snails. They could have come in as eggs.
13 Oct, 2014
I thought blue-tits or similar as they do like the nectar and he insects that are attracted to them.
14 Oct, 2014
I noticed last year that blue tits had a bit of a thing for pansies, in particular ones coloured blue. They left the red ones alone.
14 Oct, 2014
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I would say slugs. Even if you can't see trails it doesn't mean that they're not there and there's no height restriction on the b!*%#¥ things - they'll climb to the food! or there may have been eggs in the compost or on the feet of a wandering bird.
13 Oct, 2014