Q. Something is either gnawing, eating, or breaking off the tops of my clematis shoots. I can’t see anything, & it’s not slugs or birds. Any ideas? Kim Elya – Federal Way, WA
A. Well you just shot down two of the possibilities right there in your question. If the damage is on new growth at or near the soil line there could be cutworms – caterpillar of a group of moths – that only feed at night (their daylight counterparts are called loopers). During the day they hide in the soil or leaf litter below. I have had success controlling them on my bean seedlings using a drench of neem oil. I simply filled a watering can with the label specified dilution of neem. If the damage is spread out at and above soil level you could also be seeing damage from earwigs, most likely the European earwig who will similarly be working at night. They also find hiding places in the day. You may want to go flashlight gardening in the evening to see who is the culprit. Earwigs are a friend and a foe since they are omnivores. They eat other insects but also can wreak havoc on some ornamentals from time to time. In the past they have skeletonized the leaves of my fig tree. I only found them out by going out at night. I knocked the culprits off into a jar of rubbing alcohol. You could also set out short pieces of bamboo where they will hide during the day and dispose of as I just mentioned. Neem oil has been reported to help control earwigs as well. In this case apply it to the leaves per label instructions. Should you not see signs of any insects there is also an outside chance that the damage could be caused by rodents.