Question
Hi Mike,
I live in the mountains of North Carolina.  I've got soft touch holly plants/shrub (also known as Japanese Holly) in their 2nd year. I've started to notice something eating the leaves... maybe a beatle or some insect.  

Do you have experience with this kind of thing?  I don't want to put anything too strong on these plants and kill them; just protect them from whatever is eating their leaves.

Any suggestions? thanks kindly,
JOY

Answer
Joy, it is most likely a flea beetle or some other variety, but it is difficult to assess the exact species without seeing it firsthand.  

Regardless of the insect, there are many organic insecticides on the market. They include pyrethrum, rotenone, insecticidal soaps, and horticultural sprays. The one I recommend highly is a product called Pyola. It is a combination of the pyrethrum, which is a derivative of the chrysanthenum flower, and cannola oil. This product can be reviewed by linking to Gardens Alive, a company that specializes in organic pest control.  

http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8101  

Another effective control for flea beetles and many other smaller insects are yellow sticky traps. They can be made at home using yellow poster boards covered on one side with Tangle-Trap or any other sticky substance generally sold for trees at garden centers. You can also purchase them pre-cut in packs of 10. An example can be viewed through the attached link:

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/yellow-sticky-traps.html  http://www.planetnatural.com/site/tanglefoot-trap-coating.html  

I hope this information helps. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.  

Regards,  

Mike