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Basil bug? #330232

Asked June 08, 2016, 4:27 PM EDT

I've never had anything eat my basil (except maybe late in the season) & these guys in the attached pictures are destroying it- do you know what they are? How to kill organically? They are quite hard to see they are almost clear in appearance & are eating all my basil, not the broccoli directly next to it but then also my cucumbers & zucchinis are getting eaten by something as well- but I can't confirm its the same critter yet- I only was able to see them on the basil once cut & inside with close inspection. I have a Minneapolis small city yard but lots of garden space (more each year) & I practice crop rotation every season- but the basil didn't move too far from last year- the corner of the yard is a 3ft X 4ft compost bin- the basil was to the left of the bin last year & is to the right of it this year.

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

We aren't sure, but we think the insects in the photos are leafhopper nymphs or perhaps the nymph's cast skins. Leafhoppers are sucking insects so they do not chew holes in leaves.

Leafhopper nymph: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/images/Pests/Leafhoppers... 

So far as the holes are concerned, slug damage is a good guess. Because slugs are mostly nocturnal they damage many plants without being seen.

Row covers can be used to protect the plants from insects including leafhoppers.
An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 10, 2016, 7:15 PM EDT

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