Somethings Been Eating My Sunflowers

[MonsterMum]

Can anyone help?  Would ants eat sunflower leaves? 

I only planted them out a few days ago and already several of the leaves has  been munched until there's nearly no leaf at all.

I have sprinkled slug pellets all around the base so I know it's not slugs or snails and the only sign of anything is ants?

I planted 4 out and so far this only seems to have happened to one

[MonsterMum]

[Rosa_Mundi]

Sounds like slugs. Is there any way a slug could get on the plant without crossing the pellets, such as an overhanging leaf or bit of grass? They do manage some incredible acrobatics - I found a snail happily ensconced in a hanging basket with nothing overhanging and suspended from unclimbable chains....

[redimp]

Slugs and snails love sunflowers and will move mountains to get to them and IMHO slug pellets are more of a hazard to wildlife and pets than to their intended victim.  The slug pelleter on our site suffers more damge than me and I only use beer traps.

[saddad]

Nuts had written a long reply but it disappeared... what did I do wrong? Slugs and snails are the def. culprits!
???

[MonsterMum]

I now have a picture of the damage.

I can't see a way that slugs or snails could have got to it.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Could be worse; I had seven out of ten seedlings bitten off altogether.

[saddad]

The ripping in the Photo is reminiscent of pigeon damage on brassicas but have never had any hassle from the two resident collared Doves and assorted wood pigeons and sunflowers!
???

[Robert_Brenchley]

I had similar looking dmage on my climbing French beans, in the mini greenhouse, with a small snail in the middle of the damaged area.