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What's eating my blueberry leaves? #351318

Asked August 08, 2016, 4:19 PM EDT

Something is eating my blueberry leaves. I first noticed it a few days ago, but there are many more leaves affected now. There might be two different pests because some of the leaves are chewed from the outside in, giving them a serrated look around the edges, while others just have big holes in them. (See attached photos.) I searched the plants and couldn't find any insects, but the damage is increasing. What is likely to be causing this, and how do I get rid of them?

Josephine County Oregon

Expert Response

The damage shown in your pictures is very likely being caused by a caterpillar. The pest is probably eating leaves at night and after eating is going down to the ground and hiding in leaf or mulch or down into the soil if it is loose. You might want to gently dig around the base of the plant and look for the caterpillar. You can also go out after dark with a flashlight and look around the plants. Earwigs will cause some damage like your pictures but not the big scallops being taken out of some of the leaves. The caterpillar damage is probably being done by just one or a couple larvae. You can spray Bt for this pest but you can probably eliminate the problem by catching the culprit or two.
An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 08, 2016, 7:46 PM EDT

Thank you!  I have the same kind of damage on two bushes, so it's probably more than one caterpillar.

Blueberry roots are very close to the surface, so I'm concerned about disturbing the mulch too much.

Do you know what time of night they come out?


The Question Asker Replied August 08, 2016, 9:06 PM EDT
They generally will be out during the first hour or two after dark. If you cant find any caterpillars looking over the plants, you can try making paper collars to keep them out. Just cutout some paper squares about 4" by 4" and make one cut from the edge to the middle. Then slip the paper collar around the stem or trunk. Do this for each main trunk. You can put some tangle foot sticky stuff on the collars too but usually it is not needed. This helps to keep caterpillars from climbing the stems.
An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 09, 2016, 4:30 PM EDT
Thank you. I'll try that!
The Question Asker Replied August 09, 2016, 4:53 PM EDT

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