Garden

Honeysuckle Leaves Eaten by Bug

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Credit: bmcent1/iStockphoto

honeysuckle_1.jpg

Q: Something is eating the leaves on my 2 Honeysuckle plants. It has been suggested it might be earwigs. I have tried the commercial earwig bait but no luck. Any other suggestions?

There are a number of nighttime visitors that could be feeding on your honeysuckle. I would suggest you check your plants for the culprit when its dark, especially if you do not find anything during the daytime. It’s worth your time as there’s a good chance this problem will occur again next season. By going out at night with a flashlight, you can match the damage with the actual insect rather than going all out using
chemicals haphazardly. It may, for example, be a cutworm or root weevil. Both are easy to detect and can be removed by hand. Or it could be earwigs, which are easy to trap with a rolled up newspaper or short rubber hose.

For more instructions on how to make traps for earwigs and slugs, follow this link:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg006

Good Luck!