What's Eating Many Mints?

16 years ago

I have never, ever had trouble growing mints in the past. This year I started peppermint, spearmint, mountain mint, Corsican mint, and pennyroyal from seed. They've all been growing in pots, as I contemplated a more permanent home. They've all been decimated by some insect, leaving little white webby things - I've seen a small, like inchworm size, green caterpillar on them, but just one or two, not hordes. Seems to be getting my oregano, too. My spearmint recovered once, but recently has succumbed - the rest are goners.

I have enough seeds to restart, but I'd like to have a clue as to what this might be, and if anyone knows of any organic treatments. It seems to happen very fast - by the time I find a worm to hand-pick, the damage is too great.

Thanks in advance,

Kim

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Comments (5)

alabamanicole
16 years ago
Photos?

I can think of a lot of people that would like to borrow your pest to remove mints!
drippy
Original Author
16 years ago
Sorry, I don't have any pix. I know that would be more helpful, but my instinct is to pick off any damage, along with the few offenders I've found, and fling it. If I can get a future picture, I will.
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AmeliaD
16 years ago
Some of the leaves on my pineapple mint are turning dark, - it is alive but not thriving. Same thing happen to my pineapple sage - any suggestions or clues as to what has happened? I've taken some cuttings of the pineapple sage - trying to save some of it.
heathersgarden
16 years ago
Hi Kim,

I hope this is in time to help save any remaining mints. I had the exact same thing happen this year, except in addition to my mints, all my salvias, basils, bog sage, lemon balm and thyme were also afflicted. I did some research and the culprit in my garden was a tiny pink moth called the Southern Pink moth. On the salvias the caterpillars eat the blooms and buds, but on my other plants they just nest and eat anywhere.

My strategy is to choose the non-edible salvias to treat with imidacloprid. I might also choose one sacrificial lemon balm to keep in a pot that I treat with the systemic as well. I'll just have to label it so I don't forget that it's been poisoned. Hopefully this will knock back the population so it won't move to my other plants next year. Then in the mean time just hand pick and swat the little moths when I see them. (It seems terrible doesn't it? They're so cute and pink, but so terribly destructive!)

Happy gardening
~Heather

Southern Pink Moth - Pyrausta inornatalis
drippy
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi, Heather - thanks! It definitely could be, although I haven't seen any of these moths per se. I looked them up on the net, and they're mighty small, so that's not surprising. My mints got nailed, but my oregano MAY be making a comeback. I purchased some BT recently as I am growing (attempting to grow)some brassicas this fall, and it seems I'm always just growing them for the cabbage moths, LOL. I have to get more mint seeds to start more plants, but when I do, I'll keep the BT on hand and see if it works.

Thanks again,
Kim