What’s eating aubrieta?

Every year, the aubrieta all over my estate looks amazing, but not mine Even directl over the road where the occupants wouldn’t know one end of a watering can fom the other
Something eats the tips of the buds. I was ready for it this year, lifted the plants and pulled out what slugs and snails I could find and sprinkled pellets (the last I had of the blue ones) and they’ve still been nibbled!
Just got a close up picture, looks like the plant is having a go at a second flush
I found one slug, also pictured.
Any idea if it is slugs, or, if not, what else might it be?

 

Haha, just read this back and want to clarify, I mean the housing estate I live on, not my grand country estate!

 

Hi @daisybelle I can't speak from experience yet as I only bought my first aubrieta last week. While having a look what conditions, care, pests etc it needs the consensus seems to be pretty much pest free, I have seen a few people saying they have problems with mice taking the flowers, like I say I can't speak with any authority it's just what I read.

 

Well, no good asking me about aubrietas I'm afraid, mine is in its third year and has had about the worst one ever this Spring! Flowered quite well for most of April, but now looks in a right state and has pretty much stopped producing any flowers! Pretty much on the verge of giving up with it TBH, might give amending my ground soil a go or growing in a 50% JI2/50% grit mix in a container, could need slightly richer soil.

Nick

 

Could it be wood pigeon,? feeding young now and food is short. Aubretia are brassicae and typically thrive on rock scree, stone walls etc and appreciate a alkaline soil, damp but free draining.

 

Hmmm, there are pigeons in the garden frequently I hate them so I’ll be extra fuming if it’s them! The second flush has suffered too. I have one across the garden in an alpine raised bed and that does fine
I wish whatever it is would eat everyone else’s too, then I wouldn’t have to look at their fabulous specimens every time I leave the house
The soil here is slightly acidic heavy clay, but I doubt it’s that as locally, they do very well.
This is a house at the end of the street, just past its peak.

 

Back to report, they are finally flowering well, now they’re obscured by everything else that’s out!