Q. In our garden we have a large daisy that has many bites or holes in it’s leaves. We originally thought it was slugs but we have worked hard at getting rid of the slugs and it hasn’t really changed the problem with the daisy. We’ve looked the plant over and are not able to spot any insects. Do you have any ideas? Mick Davis – Tacoma, WA
A. Unfortunately working hard at getting rid of slugs in the Puget Sound and succeeding in getting rid of slugs are sometimes mutually exclusive. So it may be that you still have slugs despite your efforts. Even with slug bait there will always be a few slugs that make it to your plants before succumbing to the lure of the bait. To verify whether slugs are still present and active in your garden you can either check for slugs at night or put out a trap to see if you have any slugs. An easy trap is using a shallow container like a small plant saucer and digging it into the soil so the lip is flush with the soil line. Then put a half-inch of beer in the saucer. There the slugs will perish in a state of inebriation. Another possibility is that earwigs have been nibbling on your daisies. On occasion earwigs will supplement their diet of decaying plant material with some fresh young leaves. They are active at night so as with the slugs a nighttime flashlight foray may be necessary. Since you haven’t indicated seeing the perpetrators the damage may be occurring at night. If flashlight hunting is not your thing you can also fashion earwig traps with pieces of bamboo cut to one segment leaving a single opening. They will hide there during the day where you can observe their presence. A weekly spray of neem may be useful against most chewing insects you may encounter (notice I said insects and not mollusks/snails).