One Redditor encountered a baffling problem with their zucchinis this year, but r/gardening came to the rescue.
The r/gardening subreddit is full of seasoned gardeners and enthusiastic beginners. The community's wide range of knowledge and growing experience means the subreddit can help with almost any gardening problem — including mysteries like this one.
This unfortunate Redditor came to r/gardening with several pictures of a ruined zucchini. "This isn't the first time," they lamented. "What is doing this to my zucchinis?"
The pictures they included were nearly unbelievable. They showed a ripe zucchini with the bottom end chewed off — which wasn't that unusual. However, the veggies were also hollowed out, leaving a shell maybe a quarter-inch thick.
A few commenters shared joke answers, like "Bunnicula," but others tried to get to the bottom of the mystery.
"Wow, that's crazy," said one commenter. "I've never seen anything like that before." However, they added, "I would think it's a mouse or some other small rodent that can kind of burrow down in there, eating all the way."
That guess quickly became the most upvoted comment as other users confirmed it. "VOLES!" said a second commenter. "Spawn of Satan creatures they are. They have tunneled into about 10 of my cantaloupes this year."
"While I've never had a zucchini eaten like that, I've had similar happen to other squashes," said a third Redditor. "It was rats."
Whether the crop vandals are mice, rats, voles, or something else entirely, they're denying this Redditor one of the major health benefits of gardening. Research shows that people who garden eat more fiber, which helps with digestion.
However, even if the gardener doesn't get to chow down on homegrown zucchini, they're still getting exercise, sun, and fresh air, which helps physical health and mental health. As Green Matters explains, plants help purify the air, removing carbon pollution and slowing down Earth's rising temperature — while enriching the soil and preventing erosion.
Hopefully, this Redditor will have the chance to sort out their rodent problem. But even if they don't, they benefit themselves and the planet just by gardening.
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