Bulb Eaters: Cutworms, Budworms

Q. My daffodils and irises are eaten by bugs or slugs or something while they are still in bud form. What should I do? I have tried slug bait without success.

A. I am glad you mentioned you had used slug bait. I had the same trouble with my bulbs, but I found the culprit was slugs. Since slugs are not the problem in your case, the most likely pests are cutworms or budworms. A good-quality rose-type insecticide should help control them. Apply according to label instructions.

Q. I have never seen anything in the newspaper or heard anyone ask about the use of old railroad ties and Wolmanized wood to make raised beds. Ties are treated with creosote, which is said to cause cancer in humans. How about Wolmanized wood?

A. The companies that treat the wood in the Wolmanized process say it is safe for raised vegetable beds. I guess you missed my many comments about not using railroad ties for making raised vegetable beds. I have also commented that if one uses railroad ties for raised vegetable beds they should be lined on the inside where they touch the soil with a safe buffer material, so the creosote will not leach into the garden soil.

Q. I planted several primroses along side our house. They appeared to be doing fine; then suddenly all the flowers looked bug-bitten. I moved them to another place, but the condition has not improved. Thinking pansies were better, I planted some, and the same thing is happening to them. What is eating these plants?

A. The culprit could be weevils, cutworms or slugs. Usually you can see the trails of slugs or the slugs themselves. But weevils or cutworms are probably doing the damage at night so you do not see them. Treat the foliage and soil with an all-purpose rose dust or spray. Follow application directions on the label.

Q. We have a pretty good-sized pond in our back yard with plenty of fish. There's a tremendous amount of moss and weeds around the pond. I was wondering if you know how to kill the moss and weeds without killing the fish in the pond? We also have an island in the middle of the pond that gets tons of weeds every year. What can we use to get rid of these problems.

A. You should contact a professional spraying company. They can use some products under certain circumstances that are not available to you as a consumer. For example, Monsanto makes a product to control weeds in water, called Pondmaster, but it can be applied only by licensed applicators.

Q. I love old-fashioned violets. I have them in several places. About the middle of summer every year the leaves are all eaten, except for the veins, by some insect. Have you any idea what causes this damage?

A. Sounds like the problem is weevils or cutworms. Spray or dust a quality rose insecticide on the foliage and surrounding soil. Orthene is often used to control root weevils.

Gardening by Ed Hume appears Thursday and Friday in the Scene section and Sunday in the Home/Real Estate section of The Times. He cannot respond to personal inquiries by mail but will answer questions of general interest in this column. Address questions to Ed Hume, c/o The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.