Just got a string of them from my neighbor, and within 2 days most of the leaves had been eaten! Any thoughts? It is in my watergarden along with water lettuce, prayer plant, and green arrow, and potted plants that are sunk somewhat: elephant ear, calla, acorus, and juncus. Only the water hyacinth leaves are eaten.
What is eating my water hyacinths?
Well, Duke and Daisy (yellow labs) LOVE water hyacinths, think they're some kind of delicacy - I have one small one left, and I'm praying it'll make lots of new ones before they find it. (Want some lab mutts?????) Other ideas might be your fish, or turtles, maybe?
Maybe snails???
Don't have turtles, frogs, dogs, snails or any other fauna in my water garden; only put the fish (2 feeder fish) in Monday afternoon to try to catch whatever is chewing on the leaves. Someone asked Tuesday evening about grasshoppers: so far have only seen one very small one this summer; he died (crunch :D about a week before I got the hyacinths
They very quickly ate all the dead bugs, not to mention the things that land for a quick drink. Lots of ladybugs on the water hyacinths now, though; any clues?
This message was edited Wednesday, Jul 3rd 1:10 PM
Ladybugs you say? Hummm,,sounds like aphids. But here's another thought..are any parts of the hyacinths under water (other than the roots..lol)? Or the parts that are eaten are only above water?
Oops, hit the wrong key :(! Now I get to answer all over again!
The leaves are above the water; they are what are being eaten, clear down to the bulbuous part. No sign of caterpillars, grasshoppers, or other notorious leaf-eaters. None of the other plants have been touched, either.