What is eating my hydrangea leaves already? - Ask Extension
Hi - I have several annabell hydrangeas and I’m already noting something is eating the leaves making some leaves already “lace like”. I foun...
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What is eating my hydrangea leaves already? #640022
Asked May 23, 2020, 6:06 PM EDT
Hi - I have several annabell hydrangeas and I’m already noting something is eating the leaves making some leaves already “lace like”. I found a few culprits on the leaves which I have attached photos. What can I do to treat this before they are ruined before the season has begun? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Anoka County Minnesota
Expert Response
Those fly on the leaf did not eat your leaves. The other photo is too far away to enlarge for ID. The two holes in the one photo are where an insect took a quick bite and left. If you are finding lacy leaves (I do not see a photo) then you could have aphids. They will be on the underside of leaves. A strong spray of water will dislodge them. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/aphids
I'd like to add some comments. The tiny holes may have been due to an injury to the leaf tissues very early on in the development of the leaf, before the leaf expanded to full size. A bit of frost injury to leaf buds can cause things like this. Aphids would not cause lacy leaves, as they do not have chewing mouthparts.
