What in the HELL is eating my plants??? Help!

There are a few sites like the ones pictured on all of my plants. Not really a huge problem YET but it's obvious something is eating the leaf tissue. Only problem is, I have scoured the plants and the only thing I have come across is a fungus gnat here and there. And that's not even all that often. Happens relatively fast too. Also, whatever is causing this tends to like to go back to the same spot, as it seems like when I identify a new spot, it gets bigger each day, instead of there just being random holes everywhere. I've spent 2-3 hours looking all over the plants. Nothing. All fungus gnats do is lay eggs in the soil, right?

Driving me nuts, any ideas? THANK YOU

gjs4786 said:

There are a few sites like the ones pictured on all of my plants. Not really a huge problem YET but it's obvious something is eating the leaf tissue. Only problem is, I have scoured the plants and the only thing I have come across is a fungus gnat here and there. And that's not even all that often. Happens relatively fast too. Also, whatever is causing this tends to like to go back to the same spot, as it seems like when I identify a new spot, it gets bigger each day, instead of there just being random holes everywhere. I've spent 2-3 hours looking all over the plants. Nothing. All fungus gnats do is lay eggs in the soil, right?

Driving me nuts, any ideas? THANK YOU

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Indoor cat? ..LOL ..jk ..I'm going to assume you are outdoors because it looks like pretty big bites. Snails man. Make a beer trap and wipe the whole population out overnight. I Make one once a year just for the hell of it because it is such a effective and long term solution. Snails LOVE LOVE LOVE cannabis.

RetiredGuerilla said:

Indoor cat? ..LOL ..jk ..I'm going to assume you are outdoors because it looks like pretty big bites. Snails man. Make a beer trap and wipe the whole population out overnight. I Make one once a year just for the hell of it because it is such a effective and long term solution. Snails LOVE LOVE LOVE cannabis.

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Nah man, indoors. Pretty sure its not snails but it definitely looks like it!

If your sure it's not your cat (they been known to chew it) then definitely a mouse. Get the sticky goo out of the center of a 3 musketeers bar. Roll it into a little ball and bait a mousetrap. Massage a bit of peanut butter into the wood beneath the bait and set it before lights out. You will get that nocturnal little bastard behind the ears when he tugs on the gooey bait.

RetiredGuerilla said:

If your sure it's not your cat (they been known to chew it) then definitely a mouse. Get the sticky goo out of the center of a 3 musketeers bar. Roll it into a little ball and bait a mousetrap. Massage a bit of peanut butter into the wood beneath the bait and set it before lights out. You will get that nocturnal little bastard behind the ears when he tugs on the gooey bait.

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That's a good theory! I do have a cat but she stays out of the room and the tent stays zipped up. I haven't noticed any droppings but I wasn't looking either. I don't know if a mouse would target these leaves though. It'd be much easier to chew the bottom leaves and stalk. I'll set a trap out regardless. Have any other ideas in case it's not that? The tent zips pretty tight.

RetiredGuerilla said:

If your sure it's not your cat (they been known to chew it) then definitely a mouse. Get the sticky goo out of the center of a 3 musketeers bar. Roll it into a little ball and bait a mousetrap. Massage a bit of peanut butter into the wood beneath the bait and set it before lights out. You will get that nocturnal little bastard behind the ears when he tugs on the gooey bait.

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Oh and the last two pics look like it could be gnawing but look it the first pic. It's smooth and doesn't cross the veins. That couldnt be a mouse

The last one looks like a puncture from pussy cat teeth. If you leave the tent open and turn your back to answer the phone or listen to something on the TV for a sec ...

RetiredGuerilla said:

The last one looks like a puncture from pussy cat teeth. If you leave the tent open and turn your back to answer the phone or listen to something on the TV for a sec ...

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Lol we can rule the cat out 100%. It looks like caterpillar damage but I can't find any.

Got the same damn thing and found ants were crawling up the cord into tent. Spent day looking for ants and found 2 big fat ants idk if its ants with yours

Dezpez said:

Got the same damn thing and found ants were crawling up the cord into tent. Spent day looking for ants and found 2 big fat ants idk if its ants with yours

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That could be it man. I know I occasionally come across those sugar ants in the house. They're just almost impossible to get rid of completwly. How did you remedy the issue? We're they regular sized ants or the smaller ones? I haven't seem them either and I had my wife in there with me earlier foe an extra pair of eyes.

Thanks for the promising lead.

I'm open to other possible suggestions anyone may have!

Sometimes leaves can split from water droplets magnifying under intense light.
It can be from respiration, or water with nutes in it.
I see a lower leaf with yellow lesions in your picture.
It's not a pest.

drsaltzman said:

Sometimes leaves can split from water droplets magnifying under intense light.
It can be from respiration, or water with nutes in it.
I see a lower leaf with yellow lesions in your picture.
It's not a pest.

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Hmm. they are on all plants though. Some more than others. I don't currently fertilize. Just straight water, and I rarely get it on the foliage. Also. The leaf will be there one day, then part of it gone the next. No yellowing or browning. Just gone. With that said, are you still confident this is just a respiration issue? Thanks for taking the time to respond!

gjs4786 said:

Hmm. they are on all plants though. Some more than others. I don't currently fertilize. Just straight water, and I rarely get it on the foliage. Also. The leaf will be there one day, then part of it gone the next. No yellowing or browning. Just gone. With that said, are you still confident this is just a respiration issue? Thanks for taking the time to respond!

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No, not based on what you just wrote.
But there's not many pests you're gonna get inside a tent that you can't see that will eat your leaves like that. And not leave a trace.

Sometimes leaves twist when they form ... a vein or a blade tears or is weakened.
Or as mentioned, water can intensify the lights.

I'm not sure but I'll be looking to see what you find out.

drsaltzman said:

Sometimes leaves can split from water droplets magnifying under intense light.
It can be from respiration, or water with nutes in it.
I see a lower leaf with yellow lesions in your picture.
It's not a pest.

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Yes yes water droplets too can be an issue that ive also had burns rights through leafs. But for the ants i layed down sticky bug traps after picking them off 1 by 1. Not fun at all when you have intruders in your grow.

thats not bugs

llnknth said:

thats not bugs

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I agree.
Especially not ants (they don't eat leaves), mice (plant cant hold their weight), or snails (no slime trail).
Leaf cutter ants might use pieces for their nest but again, you would see them or any other pest.

My cat has chewed on leaves and I've seen others have it happen. What I usually see when it is a cat along with the damage is fang holes in the leaves around the damaged area. I don't see that on his.

id agree with the water on the leaves causing it

I just took a picture for you.
This is my tangie. She was rootbound and locked out but is coming around.
Same tears. Edge on left front leaf. Center on right. Zoom in.




Not bugs, mice, cats, snails or ants.
It's more likely a lockout. Or lockup.
All my plants go through it. And out of it.

Overall they're very happy:

drsaltzman said:

I just took a picture for you.
This is my tangie. She was rootbound and locked out but is coming around.
Same tears. Edge on left front leaf. Center on right. Zoom in.

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Thanks for taking the time to take a pic! Beautiful plants. See, yours LOOKS like a tear. Mine look like something is definitely munching on them. There are even two different kinds of damage. The smooth edged cut/tear/bite and the rough ones. Why haven't I come across/read about this more often? I mean, if it's alarming to me, it would be alarming to any other new grower. Well, maybe not, I'm a hypochondriac
You really think it's just natural tears in my case? I took some more pics but the phone didn't save them, I'm not going to bother them for another day or so.