The Invasion of the Marigold Munchers

You may know me as a writer of mystery suspense novels. But when I’m not writing, you will usually find me in my garden.

Lately, I’ve been experiencing something of a mystery in my garden. Something is eating my marigolds.

It was a mystery because I have marigolds grown from seed in several hanging baskets, in blue ceramic tubs and in the garden borders. Yet only two ceramic tubs and all the hanging baskets have been attacked and munched down to their storks. Several other blue tubs, near the borders haven’t been touched and nor have the ones planted in the borders. All very mysterious.

Marigolds, like nasturtiums (also in my borders grown from seeds) are very edible. We can eat them as well as rats, slugs, snails and a multitude of other insects. But there are no slug or snail trails anywhere, they seem content to munch on whatever I throw in the composter. We don’t get rats or mice because the village has a colony of feral cats that keep the vermin and snakes away. So, what is the culprit and how do I stop it?

In my search for an answer I found the Japanese Beetle loves to eat marigolds. But we don’t have them here in Cyprus. But we do have our own species. A week or so ago I discovered a beetle, on the patio, on its back, waggling its legs like crazy. So I picked it up, placed it on my pomegranate bush and off it went on its journey. A few days later I found another, on the doorstep. Picked it up (I’m not one of those people who kill insects because they are insects) and put it on the lemon tree. And guess what, these beetles can fly. The two I found were close to my hanging baskets. So, why would they fly up to the baskets when there are much bigger a leafier marigolds in the borders and tubs near the borders? And then the answer popped into my brain. What do I have living in my borders? Lizards. Lizards, like the gecko and skinks in particular, as well as a large Chameleon living in my Passion fruit plant.

Mystery solved? We will see, because I’ve moved all my potted marigolds that were being eaten into the borders. If they survive and don’t get eaten anymore, I’ll be happy. If they carry on being eaten, I’m giving up writing mysteries because nature is so much better at it than I am.

Time will tell.

If you want to read in the garden, then click the links below to read my Brittle Saga trilogy, The Midnight Series and my Kindle Unlimited collection. You then have the advantage that your eBook reader can also be used to swat flies.