Knowledgebase
Help my begonia #877481
Asked July 16, 2024, 1:45 PM EDT
Chittenden County Vermont
Expert Response
Good Morning Michelle,
Thanks for reaching out!
It's tough to say precisely what's causing the damage without catching the culprit. The holes look like slug/snail damage, is there a chance they're getting in at night? You can check with a flashlight after dark or look for the distinctive slime trails.
There are a few other pests which are active at night, but snails and slugs are the most common.
Alternatively, if water is left on the leaves during watering, it possible that what your seeing is the result of sunscald. The solution to this is to make sure that you're watering only near the base of the begonia.
If it turns out to be slugs, our friends at The University of Minnesota have a great resource to help deal with them! You can check that out here: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/slugs
Hope this helps!
Sent from my iPad
On Jul 17, 2024, at 7:21 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Hello Michelle,
Thanks for the update! I've reached out to our resident houseplant expert and she thinks there's a good chance that you've got earwigs.
Judy's advice is:
1. Reduce moisture
2. Use Diatomaceous earth
3. Consider Beer traps (not to be confused with bear traps)
4. Keep your area very clean
You can learn much more about them here: https://extension.umn.edu/nuisance-insects/earwigs
Hope this helps!
Sent from my iPad
On Jul 18, 2024, at 11:40 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote: