Holes In Leaves
Most holes in leaves of plants are caused by insects or their larvae. Some blights and leaf spots may also be the culprit, but nine time out of ten, you will discover pests on your plant leaves. The only way to get rid of the insects that chew holes in leaves is to identify the creature and then take appropriate steps to get rid of it. Local county agricultural extension agents are wonderful sources for this type of information.
If you regularly examine your plants you can usually catch insects early on and eliminate them before too much damage occurs. Start by studying both sides of the plant leaves for insects and then continue to examine the stem and flowers, if there are any. Once you have located the insect or insects, you can identify it by looking at insect guides, whether on the internet, at the library or by buying a book.
The most common insects that make holes in leaves are caterpillars, cucumber beetles, leaf beetles, flea beetles, slugs and snails. Let’s explore a few of these pests:
Caterpillars come in all shapes and sizes, and they can cause holes in leaves of just about every kind of plant--flowers, vegetables, shrubs, trees, etc. They feed on both leaves and stems and can destroy the foliage of a plant in practically no time at all. A field guide to caterpillars can help you tell the harmless ones from the ones that do damage.
Cucumber beetles are notorious for chewing holes in leaves. They don’t stick with cucumber plants either. There are striped cucumber beetles and spotted ones. They will feed on cucumbers, pumpkins, winter squash, summer squash, cantaloupes, watermelons, and even corn, potatoes, peanuts, beans and other plants. They can attack not only the leaves, but the whole plant as well. Even worse than feeding on your plants is the fact that they transmit bacterial wilt, which can reduce the number of fruit that will set and eventually can kill the entire plant.
Earwigs are another pest that not only chews holes in leaves but can defoliate plants in no time. Their damage is very much like that of caterpillars. They chew the edges of leaves and make holes throughout. The main troublemaker in the U.S. is the European earwig. They can extensively damage corn and soft fruit, plus flowers like dahlias, marigolds and zinnias. The most effective way to control earwigs is by trapping them and then destroying them.
Corn, beans, lettuce, strawberries and lilies are all kinds of plants that are the favorites of slugs. They will chew holes in leaves, plus they will chew up most all parts of the plant, including soft fruit or corn. They can destroy all of your favorite plant overnight. Slugs like it to be wet so you will often see more of them after a summer rain. It’s best not to plant near their habitat, which includes piles of boards and tall grass. Many people pick them off their plants by hand or use chemicals to destroy them. It is possible to trap them by placing a saucer of beer in your garden for bait.