Help- what's eating my Shasta Daisys? - Ask Extension
What are the little bugs eating my Shasta Daisy's? I've been spraying with water thinking the were possibly aphids but it's not helping. All of the b...
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Help- what's eating my Shasta Daisys? #873117
Asked June 14, 2024, 1:15 PM EDT
What are the little bugs eating my Shasta Daisy's? I've been spraying with water thinking the were possibly aphids but it's not helping. All of the blooms are being infested when they open. Any ideas on what I can do to help them?
Grand Traverse County Michigan
Expert Response
There may be more than one thing attacking your daisies, but let's tackle them one at a time. I can't see any in your photos, but one of the common things we see on daisies in Michigan are thrips. Thrips are slender insects that vary in color from light yellow/green to dark brown or black. They do feed on plants, but rarely do they cause enough damage to warrant control efforts. In high numbers, they can do some significant aesthetic damage and that looks like what you are experiencing on your daisies.
Thrips don't usually chew holes in petals though, so I'm thinking there might be something else involved. Have you looked at them at night? There are some insects that come out to feed on plants in the evening. Try looking at them with a flashlight at night to see if there is something chewing on them, and let me know if you find anything.
Thrips don't usually chew holes in petals though, so I'm thinking there might be something else involved. Have you looked at them at night? There are some insects that come out to feed on plants in the evening. Try looking at them with a flashlight at night to see if there is something chewing on them, and let me know if you find anything.