Knowledgebase

What’s eating my annuals #926447

Asked March 21, 2026, 2:05 PM EDT

I have had this problem for several years. I never see any pests on my plants or in the soil and this occurs in both garden soil and in pots with fresh potting soil. Some plants are direct seeded and some are established purchased from a garden center. Any ideas what is causing this and how to avoid it?

Ramsey County Minnesota

Expert Response

Since the flowers are mature I am going to speculate that the picture was taken in August. Japanese beetles begin devouring plants in mid to late July, so that is my guess. A bug that scrapes the leaf surface called the 4 lined plant bug is another suspect. The damaged leaf tissue dies and falls away. That 2 bugs have been dining on your flowers is very likely.
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/zinnia-insect-pests-diseases/
Evelyn Locke, MN Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor, Volunteer Replied March 21, 2026, 6:32 PM EDT

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