What's eating my soft-stem bulrush?

Soft-stem Bulrush is browsed by muskrats, which eat the soft stems and rhizomes, and by waterfowl that graze shoots and harvest seeds. Aquatic moth larvae bore into stems. Because stems are soft and easily compressed compared to hard-stemmed bulrushes, muskrat and goose pressure can reduce stand density noticeably in autumn and winter.

Soft stems eaten at the waterline; rhizomes excavated for food; visible lodge-building activity reduces stand density significantly in autumn Wire mesh cages around container plantings; plant in deeper water (over 60 cm / 2 ft) where rhizomes are harder to access; large stands typically rebound from spring

Larvae bore into stems, causing individual stem collapse and brown wilting tips above the waterline Remove and dispose of affected stems early; apply Bt spray to young emergent growth before larvae enter stems; robust plantings outgrow moderate infestations

Young shoots grazed in spring and early summer; seedheads consumed before dispersal; uprooting of shallow plantings Temporary wire netting around new plantings; plant in water deep enough to discourage wading; established stands have sufficient vigour to tolerate seasonal grazing