Some living organisms feed on others, that’s how nature works. Ornamental plants, oddly enough, are part of this chain.
Voles and rabbits are the animals that eat Coral Bells. Use liquid fencing and traps to get rid of them. Different repellents also work well.
Later in this article, I will go into more detail about the animals that can harm your heuchera and how to keep them away. Also, be sure to read the Coral Bells Planting and Maintenance Guide.
Voles
Coral Bells damaged by voles.
Among animals, voles are the most likely pests of Coral Bells. They are very similar to mice and dig tunnels underground where they spend most of their lives.
When food is scarce, they can feed on almost anything. Most often they eat the roots and stems of heuchera. As a result, only foliage remains.
If voles have damaged your plant, pick up the remains first. If there are parts of the stem left behind, re-root them.
The first thing to do to get rid of this pest is to set traps. There are many traps on the market that do not harm animals.
Catch the vole and take it away from the house and release it. You can control a relatively small number of pests this way.
If there are a lot of them, it is better to use castor oil. Dilute half a cup of dish soap in a bucket of water. Then add three cups of castor oil and mix it well.
Water the soil around the Coral Bells to soak it up a bit. This way you can keep these rodents away from your plants.
Rabbits
Rabbits are less of a threat to heucheras, but they can also cause damage. This can happen in winter when there is no food around and only Coral Bells are left that have not shed their leaves for the winter.
During the warm season, rabbits destroy the flowers but not the foliage. Also, heuchera is often planted together with hostas. Hostas are a favorite food of rabbits, so by protecting them, other plants in the garden will also be protected.
The best way to keep rabbits away from your garden is to use a liquid fence. There are many quality brands on the market that do a good job. Buy the best one and apply it according to the instructions.
Also, rabbits do not like spicy food. For example, you can use red pepper which will keep the rabbits at a distance with its smell. The disadvantage of this is that it has a short action time, especially in rainy weather.
Deer
Coral Bells is considered a deer-resistant plant. Indeed, deer prefer plants with high chlorophyll content, and since most heucheras are colorful, deer simply ignore them.
Still, a large herd of deer can, along with other plants in your garden, destroy Coral Bells. So if deer have been spotted in your area, it is best to keep your garden safe from them.
The easiest way to protect against these pests is to use deer repellents. You can find many recipes online for making a repellent that works really well. You can also buy a ready-made product.
The second way is to create a fence. Even simple plastic netting can do a good job of protecting your flower bed from unwanted guests. You can also install a more reliable steel fence.
Slugs
And last on the list are the slugs. These creatures rarely damage Coral Bells because the leaves of this plant are too tough for them.
But still, young tender leaves inside the bush can be eaten by slugs. Of course, if a hosta grows near it, the snail will prefer it. In any case, you should protect all your plants from these pests.
The most effective remedy against snails is iron phosphate. It is available in granules and is absolutely safe for birds, cats, and other animals.
Various traps, including beer traps, also work well. You can catch quite a few slugs with this method, but you will not be able to control them completely.
And the last method is collecting snails with your hands. If there are few of them then put on gloves and collect all the snails you can find. Then throw them away as far away from the house as possible.
To get the best results, use all methods together.