Dear Margie,

You most probably have earwigs.  They eat leaves and damage them leaving them to look like your picture.  You don't see them often.  They come out at night.

The easiest way to get rid of them is to put out a tuna can or a small plastic food tub -long and flat is better than say a small yogurt tub.  Put a small amount of cat food or tuna in the bottom and then put in about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil and put it at the bottom of the tree.  If you have pets, add the lid with holes punched into the top.  Otherwise you won't know if you caught any because the cat or dog will have eaten what is inside.

Usually this works overnight.  You should have several if not many earwigs in the morning. Keep this going until full, then empty and repeat. 

You can also put a slightly damp rolled up newspaper or corrugated cardboard under the tree.  They will crawl into it to hide during the day.  That you can step on and crush them.  Or turn the paper roll on its edge and dump the bugs into a bucket of soapy water.  Reuse the paperroll as they leave their odor behind for other earwigs.  

Slugs can also eat the leaves, but they usually leave large holes instead of eating the entire leaf.  Super Sluggo works on both slugs and earwigs.  It is iron phosphate and Spinosad and organic.

You can put Tanglefoot (a very sticky petroleum jelly-like substance) around the tree trunk about 1 inch wide.  This will catch them before they get to the leaves.  Or put a paper strip around the base of the tree and put petroleum jelly on the paper.  When it has caught the earwigs remove the paper and replace with a fresh piece.  This keeps the goo off the tree trunk.

Earwigs are the only insect that I know of where the mother stays with her babies until they are fully grown.  They can have many and they all look like the adult just smaller.  If you see any of them, spray them with homemade insecticidal soap.  One tablespoon of liquid soap, 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 cups of water in a squirt bottle.  Shake often and spray directly on them.  This will not hurt your plants.  Do not use Dawn.  It is a degreaser and can take the waxy coating off your leaves.  Castile is my choice, peppermint scent. They don't like peppermint, clove, cinnamon, lemon or eucalyptus oils.  

Here is a link with more information:  https://extension.usu.edu/archive/are-earwigs-damaging-to-my-garden-plants

If you have further questions, please contact us again.

Dear Margie,

You most probably have earwigs.  They eat leaves and damage them leaving them to look like your picture.  You don't see them often.  They come out at night.

The easiest way to get rid of them is to put out a tuna can or a small plastic food tub -long and flat is better than say a small yogurt tub.  Put a small amount of cat food or tuna in the bottom and then put in about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil and put it at the bottom of the tree.  If you have pets, add the lid with holes punched into the top.  Otherwise you won't know if you caught any because the cat or dog will have eaten what is inside.

Usually this works overnight.  You should have several if not many earwigs in the morning. Keep this going until full, then empty and repeat. 

You can also put a slightly damp rolled up newspaper or corrugated cardboard under the tree.  They will crawl into it to hide during the day.  That you can step on and crush them.  Or turn the paper roll on its edge and dump the bugs into a bucket of soapy water.  Reuse the paperroll as they leave their odor behind for other earwigs.  

Slugs can also eat the leaves, but they usually leave large holes instead of eating the entire leaf.  Super Sluggo works on both slugs and earwigs.  It is iron phosphate and Spinosad and organic.

You can put Tanglefoot (a very sticky petroleum jelly-like substance) around the tree trunk about 1 inch wide.  This will catch them before they get to the leaves.  Or put a paper strip around the base of the tree and put petroleum jelly on the paper.  When it has caught the earwigs remove the paper and replace with a fresh piece.  This keeps the goo off the tree trunk.

Earwigs are the only insect that I know of where the mother stays with her babies until they are fully grown.  They can have many and they all look like the adult just smaller.  If you see any of them, spray them with homemade insecticidal soap.  One tablespoon of liquid soap, 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 cups of water in a squirt bottle.  Shake often and spray directly on them.  This will not hurt your plants.  Do not use Dawn.  It is a degreaser and can take the waxy coating off your leaves.  Castile is my choice, peppermint scent. They don't like peppermint, clove, cinnamon, lemon or eucalyptus oils.  

Here is a link with more information:  https://extension.usu.edu/archive/are-earwigs-damaging-to-my-garden-plants

If you have further questions, please contact us again.