Pest identification
What's eating my little gem lettuce?
Slugs & Snails
Signs: Holes through outer leaves; slime trails; seedlings and small plants eaten to the ground overnight.
Control: Iron phosphate pellets; beer traps; copper tape on containers; hand-pick after dark.
Aphids
Signs: Waxy colonies tucked inside heart leaves; honeydew residue; leaves become sticky and growth slows.
Control: Dislodge with water jet; inspect hearts regularly; neem oil on outer leaves; avoid over-feeding with high-nitrogen fertiliser.
Cutworms
Signs: Plants found severed at soil level overnight; fat grey-brown caterpillars found in soil nearby.
Control: Fit cardboard or plastic collars around stem bases; dig soil around plants to expose and remove larvae.
Rabbits
Signs: Clean, diagonal cuts on stems; whole plants removed to soil level.
Control: Bury chicken wire 15 cm deep, bending outward; use 60 cm+ above-ground barrier; harvest before rabbits find plants.
Keep little gem lettuce pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Little Gem Lettuce pests — FAQ
What is eating my little gem lettuce?
Little Gem's compact, dense heart makes it susceptible to the same pests as other lettuces, with slugs and aphids topping the list. The tight head can hide aphid colonies until they are well established. Caterpillars of the cabbage moth and cutworm sever stems at night. Rabbits will eat entire plants quickly.
How do I get rid of slugs & snails on little gem lettuce?
Holes through outer leaves; slime trails; seedlings and small plants eaten to the ground overnight. Iron phosphate pellets; beer traps; copper tape on containers; hand-pick after dark.
How do I get rid of aphids on little gem lettuce?
Waxy colonies tucked inside heart leaves; honeydew residue; leaves become sticky and growth slows. Dislodge with water jet; inspect hearts regularly; neem oil on outer leaves; avoid over-feeding with high-nitrogen fertiliser.
How do I get rid of cutworms on little gem lettuce?
Plants found severed at soil level overnight; fat grey-brown caterpillars found in soil nearby. Fit cardboard or plastic collars around stem bases; dig soil around plants to expose and remove larvae.
How do I get rid of rabbits on little gem lettuce?
Clean, diagonal cuts on stems; whole plants removed to soil level. Bury chicken wire 15 cm deep, bending outward; use 60 cm+ above-ground barrier; harvest before rabbits find plants.