Knowledgebase
Insect damage on flowers and shrubs #937792
Asked July 02, 2026, 9:22 PM EDT
Kalamazoo County Michigan
Expert Response
According to this article, “Leaves with large ragged holes: Adult or larval stage of beetles, moth larvae.
Chewing/rasping insects have mouthparts that are able to chew holes into leaves, buds, roots, seeds, fruits or woody parts of plants. Examples of leaf chewing insects include earwigs, caterpillars, sawfly larvae, webworms, leafrollers, skeletonizers, cutworms, flea beetles, blister beetles, and cucumber beetles.”
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/extd8/files/documents/12281/insectpests.pdf
This article will help you determine what kind of insect is doing the damage so you can decide how to proceed.
“If you see holes or ragged chunks of leaves disappearing and the damage has been occurring slowly, with a little feeding each night, beetles, caterpillars, earwigs or slugs may be the culprits. To distinguish among these four look for signs, or evidence, left behind.
Caterpillars leave fecal droppings under the leaves or around the damage. Droppings look like small "pellets". Some caterpillars make webbing. Damage ranges from numerous small holes in leaves, to removal of large portions of the leaf. Cutworm caterpillars feed at night on both stems and leaves. During the day look for the curled-up caterpillars just under the soil surface near plant stems.
Beetles are not as likely to leave droppings and they often escape notice by falling to the ground. They fall in response to leaves being moved as you look for them. Look carefully under leaves for signs such as egg clusters and tiny larvae. Since many different species and sizes of caterpillars and beetles appear in gardens, look for information on the plant that’s being chewed to determine what insect pests are typically associated with it.
The European earwig, found in New England gardens, can damage seedling vegetables, corn silk and soft fruit. They will chew numerous holes in the leaves of many kinds of vegetable plants. Younger leaves may have holes all over the leaf and older leaves tend to be chewed around the edges. Leaves chewed by earwigs often have a ragged look.
Slugs leave a coating of slime as they feed, which dries into a shiny trail. The slime helps protect their bodies from desiccation and a residue often remains where the slug has crawled.
To investigate further, look for pests at dusk, or with a flashlight at night. Many caterpillars, beetles, and especially earwigs and slugs, feed at night and hide during the day. Handpicking caterpillars, beetles and slugs and dropping them into soapy water can be effective in home vegetable gardens. Trap earwigs in shallow cans baited with fish oil or a drop of bacon grease in vegetable oil.”