dennyboy
Sr. Member
Posts: 126
Las Vegas NV - Zone 8 or 9
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« on: June 04, 2009, 12:13:25 PM » |
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This is a picture from the internet. Several of the leaves near the top of my Gypsy pepper plant look just like this, and it happened overnight.
The damage in the photo (which is not my plant) was caused by "Leaf Cutter Bees", but I never see any bees around here. I suspect grasshoppers, but I have not seen any of those so far this year either. I sprayed the plant this morning with Safer Insect Killing Soap.
Has anyone had this kind of leaf damage? Do you know what caused it?
dennyboy
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mjb8743
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« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2009, 01:54:25 PM » |
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Yes, I've had a running battle with grasshoppers munching on my pepper leaves, and sweet potatoes, too. Fortunately, the plants were large enough that the damage was minimal, and I avoided having to spray. My 'hoppers were green, so they stayed hidden in plain sight...
Mickie
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111 EBs and growing... so how come there are never enough boxes??
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dennyboy
Sr. Member
Posts: 126
Las Vegas NV - Zone 8 or 9
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« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2009, 03:07:22 PM » |
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Thanks Mickie. Did your grasshopper damage look like the photo? My leaves look like surgical instruments were used to cut out the crescents and half-moon shapes. I did some more googling and found that my problem might be the Leaf Cutter Bee after all. The info says that they have been seen in Las Vegas. On one site it says they can do tremendous damage, but on a US Agriculture site it says to leave them alone because they are great pollinators.  I'll just have to be on the lookout for grasshoppers. dennyboy |
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gardendoc
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« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2009, 03:27:03 PM » |
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dennyboy, definitely leaf cutter bee damage. Generally control measures are not needed.
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My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, and a preacher. But every day, three times a day you need a farmer.
We are only 9 meals away from revolution
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mjb8743
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« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2009, 04:23:15 PM » |
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Thanks Mickie. Did your grasshopper damage look like the photo? My leaves look like surgical instruments were used to cut out the crescents and half-moon shapes. I did some more googling and found that my problem might be the Leaf Cutter Bee after all. The info says that they have been seen in Las Vegas. On one site it says they can do tremendous damage, but on a US Agriculture site it says to leave them alone because they are great pollinators. I'll just have to be on the lookout for grasshoppers. My grasshopper damage was more ragged and random. |
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111 EBs and growing... so how come there are never enough boxes??
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gardendoc
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« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2009, 04:45:54 PM » |
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The leaf cutter bees are neat eaters and leave the clean edges found in the images.
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My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, and a preacher. But every day, three times a day you need a farmer.
We are only 9 meals away from revolution
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dennyboy
Sr. Member
Posts: 126
Las Vegas NV - Zone 8 or 9
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« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2009, 05:06:50 PM » |
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If you live in the southwest and you have had precision semi-circles cut out of your plants' leaves, here are some pictures of the likely chewer. These are leaf cutter bees.
I finally saw one of these land on a twig yesterday, so I guess there are bees after all in these parts. That helps explain why I have not had any pollination problems this season. I have seen them flying around, but they are so fast it's been impossible to tell what they are.
They do not actually eat the leaves they cut. They use them in building nests. They do not live in hives. It's best to leave them alone because they are great pollinators.
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« Last Edit: June 10, 2009, 06:55:54 PM by dennyboy »
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gardendoc
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« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2009, 08:30:32 PM » |
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Hence the leaf cutter bees and not leaf eater bees
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My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, and a preacher. But every day, three times a day you need a farmer.
We are only 9 meals away from revolution
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kittyhawk63
Guest
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« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2009, 10:19:09 AM » |
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See the parts of a grasshopper's mouth. This may explain why they leave ragged edges on the leaves they eat. http://wwwbio200.nsm.buffalo.edu/labs/tutor/Grasshopper/Grasshopper50D.htmHere is a close up of the mouth of a grasshopper with all parts attached. I can see here why he is a sloppy eater. The color is probably due to him chewing tobacco all the time. Ever had one spit its tobacco juice on you? No, it's not real tobacco. That's what we Texans where I grew up call it. kh63 Picture of grasshopper mouth:  |
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« Last Edit: June 16, 2009, 12:12:46 PM by kittyhawk63 »
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akw1971
Newbie
Posts: 1
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« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2009, 01:52:07 PM » |
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Here's what they did to my pepper plants!  |
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gardendoc
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« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2009, 01:56:53 PM » |
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I do not think grasshoppers are the culprit. R a t s
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My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, and a preacher. But every day, three times a day you need a farmer.
We are only 9 meals away from revolution
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kittyhawk63
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« Reply #11 on: June 25, 2009, 02:15:20 PM » |
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If there is a lot of forage for them, they will not resort to eating stem and all. They will stay with more tender leaves. If there is little for them to eat, they'll eat everything in sight. I saw this as a kid growing up in Texas after we had three or more years of devastating drought. They would lay the fields bare. So, if there is a lot for them to eat, I agree with gardendoc. RATS. Or, some other creature.
kh63
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« Last Edit: June 25, 2009, 03:09:49 PM by kittyhawk63 »
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