Question
Hi there,
I often notice my petunias and pansies with holes in their leaves and upon inspection, tiny black specks (bugs?)here and there.  There also seems to be a slight webby appearance.  Do I need to plant another plant nearby to drive these pests away or is there some way to prevent this?
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Sara:

There is no other plant that would work, unless you want to try planting garlic. Some say it helps but I've never tried it.

Do you have lots of earwigs around where you live? Earwigs will eat holes in leaves as will some caterpillars and so will slugs. The tiny black speck could be Caterpillar poop or aphids or fungus gnats. The webs on some plants is a sign of spider mite or it could be just a regular spider trying to catch whatever is eating your plants.

If I had to bet money I'd say it was earwigs or slugs. The black spots were fungus gnats and the webs were from a regular spider.

Fungus gnats feed on dead debris in the soil. If you've ever brought a plant inside and thought you had fruit flies, it was more than likely fungus gnats. They don't do any harm but are annoying inside.

Spider mite and aphids are sucking insects, who attach to leaves and suck the sap from the leaf veins.

What to do: Insecticidal Soap is a good thing to have on hand. It is environmentally friendly, won't harm children or pets and is good for getting rid of all soft bodied or small insects like spider mite and aphids and caterpillars. Spray the entire plant including the undersides of the leaves. Also a good spray with the hose when you are watering helps wash them away or kill them. Do any spraying or watering in early morning before 9.30 or late afternoon after 4.30 but at least 2 hours before nightfall. A hot midday sun will burn wet leaves and leaving your plants wet at night is courting fungal diseases.

Earwigs and slugs are another matter You can never get rid of them and believe me I've tried. However you can keep them under control. Slugs look like snails without a shell, earwigs are long bodied with small pincers that can give you a nip if you touch them. A good way to tell is to take a flashlight out at night and check to see what is eating them, when you see the first hole. Then you can putout Slug Bait or  Earwig Bait the next evening. Put it on wet ground near your plants and cover with a small board, stone or anything else you can come up with. You may have to dig a small crevice for them to crawl into, before you put down the bait. Earwigs and slugs feed at night and hide in small openings in the day.

I hope this helps.                      Myrna