Do you fellas have slugs or snails over there? I have my own solution for controlling them over here, but my ancestral country (Cyprus) is overrun with them.

Anyways, my Gk Black is showing signs of what looks suspiciously to me like snail/slug damage on its leaves. I've been out of a night in an attempt to catch them in delicto flagrante (so to speak) in order to deploy my 'solution', & found nothing so far.

I'm gonna continue this level of vigilance for a while, but I find it odd that whatever critter is responsible for decimating my Gk Black foliage seems to have absolutely no interest in the other varieties sitting nearby. Very odd indeed.

There must be something about the leaves of my Gk Black that particularly appeals to this mystery pest, and I wondered if any of you have ever encountered this problem and been able to convict the culprit?

I'm sorry to hear that Costas. We had both in Washington state but since moving to Texas it's only snails and very few of them. At the moment I am having some issues with caterpillars though. They are exhibiting the same preferences as you suggest. I have found 3 types and they each have zeroed in on a different variety. One on my Berbera, one on the banana and one on the dragon fruit. They are distinctly different so they may have different tastes.

Problem is, they do their damage during the day and evening so catching them at it and squashing them is labor intensive.

i thought with slugs and snails you just leave out a dish of beer. they will get happy and drawn themselves. 

@ jj - I regularly inspect during daytime anyway, and seen nothing so far. That's why I assumed this must be nocturnal feasting on my poor Gk Black.

@ Pete - Yeah, heard of that solution too, but until I know for sure they are the cause of this damage, might be a waste of a good beer. Might try it with a cheap lager just in case tho & see what happens.

Beer works well, they won't cross copper (try putting a loop of copper wire on the trunks), and there are plenty of poisons/repellents at stores of varying toxicity (some are very safe and others I wouldn't touch with gloves and a respirator). You can also encourage toads if they live if your area, they are slug eating machines.

Slugs come out at night only, so you could go out with a flashlight and handpick them. During the day they hide in cool, damp spots under rocks, containers, etc.

In my experience with Hosta (a slug favorite), varieties with thick or crinkly leaves are seldom eaten. Perhaps Greek Black has thin, easy to eat leaves compared to the rest of your figs?

I agree with Kelby . The really cheap beer works better. We used to have loads of them here. Found what drew them here was overwatering in my gardens. So I would go out at night with a salt shaker and melt those I saw . Beer got the others and dialed the watering times back .
The really large hosta w/ crinkly leaves here were not slug food either Kelby.

Good luck Costas - hope you find the culprit(s)

Hi loquat1,
Do you have a photo of the leaves ?
The leaves of my fig trees are too hard for slugs to damage them, plus fig leaves and sap are urticant even to us, so to a slug ... I would search for a caterpillar or a rodent.
Take an half liter plastic bottle and fill up to an inch of cheap beer (Guinness for instance :) - but you might trap really big slugs with that one) . Punch big holes in the bottle just over the bier level.
In my garden, it worked for both slugs and caterpillars. That made a nice whisky preparation. I thought of sending a bottle to a member that once said was willing to taste - one that drinks beer :) - , but the bottle wouldn't pass the customs .
I had to empty the bottles to make space for the new comers - the sight was really ugly .

Wow, what a bunch of useful tips & advice. Thx folks.

@ Pattee - I'd be seriously worried about shaking salt anywhere in my garden. Its effect on osmotic processes amounts to a death sentence for most plants. You have, however, almost described my MO. I use a strong salt/water solution in a jar. I go out 2 or 3 nights a week, and pick them with ice cube tongs, then drop the blighters in the solution. They die fairly quickly. When the jar is almost full, it goes into the trash can after some suitable wrapping. 

@ jdsfrance - No, don't presently have a photo, but since you ask, will take one (or two) & post later ('gator). Only have lager in the fridge at the moment, but got loads of spirits that we don't drink, especially Whisky. My understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) is that any alcoholic drink will do the trick. If that's the case, I'm wondering if I could achieve the same result with diluted Whisky.

Interesting that your suggestion works for caterpillars as well though. If they are the culprit, I'm surprised I've not yet seen them. But you are kiddin' me about the forum member who was willing to taste it, right? 

@ Kelby - Didn't know the copper wire method. Might well give it a go if all else fails. Have noticed more damage on the newest shoots/leaves, so this is an ongoing problem. The leaves on one branch have been completely destroyed. If I don't find the culprit, I'm considering bringing the plant indoors to keep an even closer eye on it.

EDIT: I won't use pesticides on principle, toxic or otherwise, and whilst we have toads, they are quite rare around here and certainly not enough of them around to significantly impact the slug population. I once found a toad in our garden, yet still scooped upwards of 20 slugs & snails into my 'death jar'.

@Costas, have you seen shiny trails left behind by the slugs? If not, it is NOT slug that's eating your plant. if it is Slug then find the product called...

 
it's Organic and , same time, it is a fertilizer too. 
Good luck.

Hmm, good point. No, no sign of the slimy trail. But then again, if the slug is already in the pot, I wouldn't necessarily expect to see any.  If it is a slug or snail, I doubt it commutes for its nocturnal munch. I shall just have to increase frequency of monitoring until I get to the bottom of this. But thx for the tip anyway. That looks like an interesting product that I might well try if it's available over here.

Costas - good point !

I only used a small bit ( they melt instantaneously) but never had any trouble with my plants . 

@ Pattee - Pleased to hear it. Would be a shame if your slug culling method resulted in 'collateral damage'.

Well, it's dark here now, and just had another look. Still no sign of the culprit/s, so the jury is still out on the slug theory. Will check it at least hourly.

The hunt goes on....

I've read that sprinkling diatomaceous earth (DE) around the plant is at least a deterrent, if it doesn't outright kill them.  It would feel to them like walking on broken glass...if slugs could walk.
Jim

Hey Jim. I think broken eggshell works on the same principle. The missus also tells me that orange peel apparently keeps the little $%#@!&*s away - possibly coz they don't like smell of the oil. 

a quick easy slug weapon is household ammonia in a plastic spray bottle. just one spritz directly on the slug does the trick unless they are very large ones. try not to get the ammonia on leaves , it may burn. it is my understanding that ammonia does break down into nitrogen, much less toxic than slug baits, etc. and not as bad as salt for soils. good luck! randy/ga 

I should add, despite this minor setback, I still consider myself fortunate compared to what many of you have to contend with. I'd much rather deal with slugs/caterpillars/rodents than Ambrosia, Shothole, Mosaic Virus, etc etc.

Thx for that too Randy. I've never seen a slug longer than around 5", and they've always been susceptible to my salt water solution. If the ammonia idea is less effective, there may not be much point in trying it. But I'll bear it in mind if we have any around the house.

The problem is less about dispatching slugs than it is about finding the cause of the damage to my Gk Black. Time for another inspection before I hit the sack.

Well, I now seem to have loads of 'final solutions' for eliminating/deterring these pests, but the more I think about it, the less I'm convinced they are the culprit on this occasion. Slugs love strawberries, and a straw I left in the pot has not been touched. jdsf is probably right - caterpillars or rodents it is.

No less than half a doz. inspections last night and in the small hours, and absolutely no sign. When I see slug damage on my runner beans, I never fail to find upwards of half a doz. (again) munching away of a night, and they go straight into the 'jar of death'. Another inspection this morning, and the damage does not appear to have progressed any further. I noticed the white sap still oozing from the damage on the youngest/smallest leaf.

If it's a rodent, I can lay a mousetrap. I have my own take on that as well, but a description is not for the squeamish, faint-hearted, Buddhists, or animal rights activists, so I'll spare your feelings just in case any of these groups describe you. If it's caterpillars, I can try either jdsf's idea with the holed beer bottle, or else just cover with a suitable cloche. Either should do the trick.

I'm going to assume caterpillars for now, coz I don't wanna kill a rodent unnecessarily. I'll post a piccie for jdsf (and any other interested member) later, but meantime, thanks for all the tips and suggestions.

April (at least for here NE region) is the right time to spread some of those slug/snail pellets as a control.

ok jdsf, for what it's worth, here they are:

The leaves on the right branch (air-layered) have been completely destroyed.

This is the main leaf on the left branch - extensively damaged, but possibly still functional.

 

The newest leaf on the left branch, possibly also still viable.


 

Costas, that looks likes something is damaging the leaves when the first start to open or the buds. The misshapen leaf with parts missing is a giveaway. That doesn't seem like slug feeding to me.

Are there any small bugs like thrips or aphids on the plant? Try a spray with neem oil or something and hopefully the new growth will push out fine.

None that I've been able to spy, but might try the neem oil spray (if I can find it in our local store) anyway, just in case the culprit is only an occasional visitor.

Thanks Kelby. That's some useful fig forensics.