What's eating my escarole 'batavian full heart'?

Escarole 'Batavian Full Heart' is a broadleaf chicory-family crop most frequently damaged by slugs on the large outer leaves and aphids clustering inside the full, heavy head. Leaf miners tunnel outer foliage. Its dense heading makes aphid infestations inside the head particularly difficult to spot and treat before harvest.

Large irregular holes and slime trails on the broad outer leaves; significant feeding on crowns during wet periods. Iron phosphate pellets around plants; hand-pick after dark; copper tape around raised bed edges; reduce mulch directly against stems.

Dense aphid colonies between the inner leaves of the closed head; sticky honeydew and sooty mould contaminate the harvest. Inspect heads at harvest and wash thoroughly; encourage parasitic wasps and ladybirds; apply insecticidal soap to outer leaves early.

Serpentine white or pale yellow tunnels running through outer leaf tissue; leaves weaken and yellow prematurely. Remove affected outer leaves; protect young plants with fleece or fine mesh; avoid stressed plants through consistent moisture.