Question
QUESTION: Something is eating the leaves in my garden. The damage is like slug damage with long slashes in the leaves and some almost completely eaten away from the outside edges in, but the affected leaves are high up off the ground, both my red twig dogwood and my mandevilla have been affected. I have searched in vain for insects underneath the leaves but no sign! I am very worried because they are ruining a little ginko tree we planted last fall especially for the fall color. The way things are going it will be lucky to have any leaves left on in the fall. Could you shed some light on this problem please?  I would like your best guess as to what may be causing the damage and what to use to protect the plants. Thank you.

ANSWER: Patty,

This does sound like slug damage. Is it possible that slugs are climbing into the foliage at night, feeding then leaving before daylight? Slugs do climb into vines and bushes. The other possibility is hail damage. It is possible you are seeing damage from several different causes that looks similar?

Look carefully for slime trails typical of slug movement. Also, have there been hail storms recently?

These are my best guesses. Good luck.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
Extension Entomologist (ret.)
author Living with Bugs: http://www.livingwithbus.com/bug_book.html




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response Jack. No hail in the area where we live.  I did not think slugs could climb so high up as to do the amount of damage that has been done to the ginko tree!
What do you think of army worms? Do you think it could be those?  I have been looking at my gardening book and the damage they do is very similar to the damage being done here. In any event I need to know what to use please?

Answer
Patty,

I don't think it is armyworm because they prefer grasses. Could be some other caterpillar that feeds at night, however. Try this: get some Tanglefoot and apply it around the stem or trunk to stop anything that tries to climb. Google "Tanglefoot" if you are unfamiliar with this material. You can probably purchase it locally at a garden center. Get the paste formulation rather than the paint-on or spray-on.

You might also put out some slug bait or traps. Take a look at this page http://www.livingwithbugs.com/slugs.html about manging slugs and snails.

Let me know if you find the culprit.

Jack DeAngelis