Vanishing parsnips

[SeniorCitizen]

Do You have Gophers?

 

[Owdboggy]

No gophers in Britain! At least not outside the Zoo.

 

[Chuck]

What are the animals that live underground in the UK? Moles, voles, badgers, rabbits? Anybody else? What else is left besides above ground varmints? I don't think rabbits can just yank a parsnip out of the ground nor rabbits or squirrels either unless you have some super species no one know about. Farm animals such as horses, goats and pigs can however, along with their owners. Sheep and cows not so much. I have yet to see animal degradation that did not leave some sort of clue, be it tracks, foliage, feces or something else.

 

[Beth_B]

Do You have Gophers?View attachment 10228

That was my second thought...some sort of critter pulling them down from below. Especially since there are now holes and tunnels. That's a pretty big clue right there.

Some snakes live underground especially in winter so they can keep a stable temperature. So that's something to look up.

 

[SeniorCitizen]

Being the UK doesn't have Gophers and the tunnels are from 6" to a foot deep that only leaves Wild Boars.

 

[Colin Blinkhorn]

Do You have Gophers?View attachment 10228

Thank for the reply but i don't think we have gophers in the u.k.

 

[Owdboggy]

What size tunnels? Mole runs are usually about 2 inches across. Rabbit runs are anything up to a foot.

 

[Colin Blinkhorn]

What size tunnels? Mole runs are usually about 2 inches across. Rabbit runs are anything up to a foot.

Tunnels are about 6 to 8 inches in diameter but the vegeatabe plot is caged to prevent our dogs from doing damage

 

[Owdboggy]

That definitely sounds like rabbits to me. I would go looking for their point of origin myself. They will be digging under any fencing from somewhere. You would need to bury rabbit proof fencing to at least a foot below ground level to stop them digging under and even then................
Our rabbit hunting cats got the ones which visited us!

 

[Colin Blinkhorn]

That definitely sounds like rabbits to me. I would go looking for their point of origin myself. They will be digging under any fencing from somewhere. You would need to bury rabbit proof fencing to at least a foot below ground level to stop them digging under and even then................
Our rabbit hunting cats got the ones which visited us!

I did think it might be rabbits but I have rabbit fenced around the vegeatable plot to keep them out and also our dogs. I cannot find anything entrance point except for a mole hill. I also have a row of winter lettuce that has not been touched

 

[Owdboggy]

Rabbits don't actually eat lettuce, despite the cartoons. The juice causes them terrible problems.
Still think that they are to blame. The one we had in the garden was only discovered when one of our cats disturbed it and chased it past us. Even then I had to virtually remove all the Heather bed to find its warren (well the beginning of one).

 

[Colin Blinkhorn]

Rabbits don't actually eat lettuce, despite the cartoons. The juice causes them terrible problems.
Still think that they are to blame. The one we had in the garden was only discovered when one of our cats disturbed it and chased it past us. Even then I had to virtually remove all the Heather bed to find its warren (well the beginning of one).

I have not seen any rabbit droppings but i will continue to look
Thank you for all your help

 

[Mick]

The tops could have been chewed off and I cannot think of anyone in the village would steal our parsnips especially as we live a long way off road

I had this it's moles they eat the hole parsnip but leave top parts

 

[Marck]

I had this it's moles they eat the hole parsnip but leave top parts

Moles (Talpa europaea) are insectivores. They could potentially damage a plant while digging, but they wouldn't eat it.

 

[Mrsclem]

Voles will eat the bottom and leave the top!