What's eating my charentais melon?

Charentais melon, the classic French cantaloupe, is highly susceptible to aphids — especially melon aphid — which spread cucumber mosaic virus and devastate crops. Cucumber beetles are the second major threat. In European kitchen gardens, slugs attack seedlings and vine tips. Birds may peck ripe fruit if left uncovered.

Curled, yellowed leaves; honeydew and black sooty mold; virus spread causes mosaic patterning and stunted plants Reflective silver mulch; insecticidal soap or neem oil; introduce Aphidius parasitic wasps in greenhouse/tunnel growing; remove heavily infested shoots

Feeding damage to young plants; bacterial wilt transmission kills vines within days of infection Row covers at transplant; remove when flowering for pollination; kaolin clay spray; pyrethrin as last resort

Ragged holes in seedling leaves and vine tips; slime trails; worst in cool, wet conditions common in UK gardens Iron phosphate pellets; copper barriers; hand-pick at night; raise seedlings on benches to delay ground contact

Pecking holes in ripe fruit skin; damage accelerates rot Netting over plants as fruit ripens; bird-deterrent tape; harvest at first sign of slippage