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Ohio

I usually dont have problems very much with bugs this early in the year, and this bug problem has me baffled,,, the only thing I can figure out that might be eating on my plants tender new leaves is snails, because I cant catch them in the act during the day.
I have 2 plants in the same hoop house that are only 12 inches apart(one is a back up), and only one is being hit. For the life of me I cant figure out what bug is doing the damage, because during the day I never see them on my plant,,,ever.
They eat a nice little tear in the leaf, almost looks like someone grabed the leaf with both hands and tore it like you would a piece of paper.(no round size holes on my plant at all).
Whats weird about this is I have snail bait down that has worked like a charm in the past, and I have seen none of the tail signs of the slimy substance they leave in the dirt when they leave the area before the sun comes up(nor have I ever seen them at daybreak ether).

I have sprayed my plant with a light mixture of pesticide on both plants in my hoop about 3 days ago that I thought took care of the problem,

I'm positive its 'NOT' aphids or spider mites.
The Only bug, which I found even close to my seedling was on the outside of my hoop last night when I closed them up in the evening(WHICH WAS ONLY ONE) and it was a small tiny jumping spring tail(about the size of a flea).

Since I cant catch this bug in the act that's doing this to my plant leaves, I was wondering what bugs you guys are running into this early in the year that will eat a nice little tear in the new leaf growth. Any ideas?

5/21/2009 8:53:00 AM

Ham Lake, Minnesota

I did catch a small fuzzy caterpillar on the soil crawling toward a plant and never seen one in my area before. I'm sure he would have eaten the leaf in the same manner of damage you described.

5/21/2009 11:39:20 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Brooks, my neighbor was having problems exactly as you describe. I told him it was snails since the damage was being done at night. He went out that night after midnight and didn't find a single snail. What he said he did find was :June Bugs" a couple of them eating on every plant.

5/21/2009 1:16:26 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Brooks you probably ruled this out but are you sure that your plant supports (bamboo or whatever) aren't tearing the leaf when the wind blows hard?

5/21/2009 1:56:12 PM

Ham Lake, Minnesota

Great website of the usual suspects:

http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-65.pdf

5/21/2009 2:49:54 PM

Joliet, IL

any slugs or snails under any nearby walking boards? sounds like slugs or snails to me. sluggo in a circle around the plants works good for me. check for earwigs under walking boards too. maybe throw a yellow sticky bait insect trap in the houses to identify the problem critters.

5/21/2009 4:31:14 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Alex, thank you for an excellent source!

They also have one tailored to curcurbits...
http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-30.pdf

5/21/2009 6:13:58 PM

Ohio

Ditto on the site Alex!

Ill check tonight in the hoops and see if I can spot anything.
Jim,not the wind, still have the plants in the hoops that are protected from wind, but thanks for the reminder on the bamboo's stakes for this season, they end up getting a few of my leaves every year,,, and boy do I hate when that happens!! That will make even a preacher cuss,,lol

5/21/2009 7:19:40 PM

Ohio

Okie, thanks for that site aswell! Nice info there on bugs that love our pumpkin plants!

5/21/2009 7:40:16 PM

Ohio

Now you guys got me thinking,,lol!!
Shaz, Duane, the june bug theory has me thinking, cause I did find a few dead ones under the plastic last week. And that could be a great possibility of what is feasting on my leaves.

What gets me is that I have sprayed the plant a few days ago with a real light does of Merit and Talstar and it still doesnt seem to be stopping the injury to my leaves. Although I hate to spray anything on my leaves when my plant is in this young stage, I might have to kick the dosage up a little.

I already have that sluggo down since my plants hit the ground, I put my sluggo down exactly the way you do Shaz,
maybe I have a smart slug/snail,one that keeps sneaking through my bait some how,,,lol! But I'm gonna keep a eye on it tonight and catch the culprit in the act!!(I hope,,lol) Its time this little rascal(what ever it is) meets its maker!,, ha!

5/21/2009 7:58:55 PM

Taylorsville, California

Earwigs have done very similar damage to my plants Brooks,,they love to live under boards and rocks ect,,check your plants at night and you can usually catch them,,two seasons ago the things took the whole tip off my main vine, as well as a chunk out of my 3 day old pumpkin about the size of cherry,, when i went out that night there were over 500 earwigs covering the plant,nasty little bugs.

5/21/2009 8:49:14 PM

Ohio

Couldn't catch anything last night so I sprayed a really light spraying of neem oil on my plant at 12:20 am before going to bed.

Went out to open up my hoops this morning and what did I find?,,,, SASQUATCH!!!! (Big Foot) all huddled up in the corner of my hoop house just waiting for me!,,,, scared the ship out of me!,,Ha!

No, really, I found 2 dead junebug at the base of my plant, dead as a door nail. I dont know if the neem is what killed them, or the spaying of the other pesticides I used 4 days before, but at any rate, the plant was touched last night and the old Wicked Witch is DEAD! they must of been hiding under the plastic that meets the dirt somewhere.
Duane hit the nail on the head, thanks for all the input guys, this was a real fun and informing post.

5/22/2009 7:17:10 AM

Ohio

correction, ''plant wasnt touched last night''.

5/22/2009 7:18:32 AM

Ohio

I got lots of cucumber beetles on my trap plants ( killing as many as I can with Sevin spray)..........they haven't gotten in my cold frames with my AG's YET.

5/26/2009 7:21:37 PM