What ate my watermelon plant?

[nap61]

About two weeks ago I planted a small watermelon plant. It was doing very well. It was growing and looking healthy. This morning I was cutting grass in that area and the plant looked good. This afternoon I went back to check if it needed water and something had eaten all the leaves. What would eat the plant in broad daylight - rabbit, racoon, armadillo? What do you pros do to protect your young plants (other than sitting there with a .223)? Last year something dug up and ate a merliton I planted in the same area.

Norm

 

[whistlepig]

Don't know where you live so don't know your critters. Around here groundhogs are the number one suspect. Rabbits are number two and deer would be the third.

 

[nap61]

Whistlepeg,
I live in SE Louisiana, North of Lake Ponchartrain. My first thought was a rabbit. There were no tracks around the plant even though the ground was soft from recent rain.

Norm

 

[whistlepig]

Groundhogs, squirrels, and rabbits don't leave much sign even on soft ground. A deer isn't hard to figure out. An armadillo would scare me to death if I ever saw one. Trail cameras are big help if you have one or have a friend you that can borrow one from.

 

[crash325]

In my part of the world.
Had some cantaloupes that were doing pretty well. One of my bird friends just loved them. 3 Plantings all were eaten off, think it was a cactus wren if memory is correct.


Cotton tail rabbits just love fresh juicy well watered plants. Mine were so friendly, one stepped on my foot trying to find his way through the fence. Another one that was getting into a water melon plot didn't mind very much when he got squirted with the water hose.

Armadillo's are pretty much harmless to humans. And can actually be sort of friendly. Had a pet Armadillo when very young ( 2 or 3 ). Use to go in his cage and play with him. He dug his way out, went up town, scared people and they killed him.