By Gazarmo
Lancashire,
United Kingdom 
my partner and i have just recently taken up the hobby of gardening...complete novices in fact and decided to try simple things like tomatoes/strawberries etc.. we are also trying our luck with cabbage and cauliflowers.
over the last few days, the leaves of the young seedlings have become ravaged by unknown assailants, looks like catterpillars or something similar but as of yet i havent found anything on the actual plants. there are no signs of aphids or black/greenflies, no signs of slug/snail trails on the surrounding soil/leaves. ive tried traps with sweet cider in them but they have as yet turned up blank. can anyone help me or suggest the culprits? any help or advice would be hugely appreciated..
regards
gary
2 Jun, 2011
Answers
Possibly wood pigeons
2 Jun, 2011
pigeons are a possibility! As are cabbage white caterpillars! Very small to start with and will decimate cabbage type plants with ease! Look out for white butterflies that look so pretty......BUT! If its pigeons or caterpillars you may need to net the area to prevent these critters getting to your crops!!
2 Jun, 2011
Sounds like pidgeons to me, agree with pam you need to net them whilst there young, julien.
2 Jun, 2011
Cauiflowers aren't that simple - you have to make sure that they never get a check in their growth so watch your watering carefully.
2 Jun, 2011
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I find slugs and snails are usually the worst leaf ravagers. You wouldn't necessarily find slime trails. You need to go out in the evening or at night with a torch and look for them - I'll bet they're there. Squishing the culprits works well, in combination with organic slug pellets containing ferric phosphate.
2 Jun, 2011