I think you must have had my share at least :-). I haven't even seen more than a few aphids on my nasturtiums - they're usually covered in them. No golden tortise beetles eating holes in my morning glory or sweet potato leaves, no slugs munching on my hostas, no sawflies on my violets, no whiteflies, no leafminers, no earwigs, nothing pestering me but the squirrels. I haven't dug up my bulbs yet, so I might find a repeat of last year's nasturtium bulb fly epidemic, but there aren't any signs of it, so if they're there, it's in fewer numbers than last year.

BP

We've only lived in our new house 3 years but this summer has been horrible for 'something' eating my shrubs! My shrubs are full of holes and some leaves look more like lace than leaves. I check every day to see if I can find beetles or bugs, aphids or larvae that are eating everything and so far I've found NOTHING AT ALL. I'm stumped. It must be a night time eating insect or something b/c all summer I've been checking leaves on all my shrubs and plants and have found nothing at all. In 3 years I've seen only maybe one earwig so I'm not sure that those could be a problem but what else could it be?

Barb
southern Ontario, CANADA

I found this year was really bad for japanese beetles and gypsy moths, pretty bad for earwigs, and good for (meaning few) aphids. no one else has mentioned japanese beetles -- I think they all came to my house this summer!

Do you mean those yellowish-orange asian ladybeetles? I don't know the correct name for them but we've had a fair few but could they possibly be doing that much destruction without me ever seeing them on the leaves of ANY of my shrubs?

Barb

knottyceltic - are your shrubs Viburnums of some sort? Viburnum beetles have been pretty bad in the last few years (both the larvae and adults are responsible for the damage).

Japanese beetles are round coppery coloured beetles with white dots around the outside edge - they eat pretty well everything :-(. It could be that's what you have too - they've been gaining ground as well.

You might be thinking of the Asian lady bug - the yellow/orange ones that swarm and pinch/bite. They usually don't eat plants, just bugs, but it is their swarming inside of houses that has earned them pest status. I've seen several of them, but never a swarm of them.

I have lots of bees and the normal complement of other bugs, but I guess all my bad bugs are vacationing at everyone else's place! They don't like the city I gues :-)

BP

BP...yes actually, the majority of shrubs that are affected ARE viburnums...the ones that are lacy from holes are Arrow wood Viburnums but also my Viburnum Trilobum and my viburnum lentago, nannyberry. Ok if it is this bug getting them, then why can't I find it? I'll have to go look it up... thanks for the idea...

Barb