Bug holes on leaves of Nellie R Stevens Holly

I chose Nellie R Stevens Holly partly because I'd read that it is almost pest-free... but it's not working out that way.

Can someone help me find what is eating holes in the leaves of my Nellie R Stevens Hollies at my Richardson, Texas home?

They were planted from 5-gal containers last October as a hedge around my back yard (about 25 plants), and they are growing very nicely... but something besides me finds them attractive.

All the tender new leaves have holes in them. while the older hard green leaves seem almost untouched.

I can't find any bugs.

I guess that should be my first question... what's the best way to find the bugs?

I have searched this forum without finding anything that sounds like it.

I've also done a Google search on the Internet and found a reference that said that aphids sometimes infest the tender leaves, but don't eat the hard glossy leaves.

That's what this bug is doing. But aphids wouldn't eat holes like this would they? These aren't "pin holes", but are maybe 1/8" in diameter.

Can anyone help?

Thanks so much for any advice.

CJ

That looks like skeletonization to me. Maybe some sort of a beetle. Grab your flashlight and go out about 2 hours after nightfall and see if you don't find a a beetle or two munching away. See if this is what you find-
http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/album/024107044ap.html

If you can't see any beetles with your flashlight, look up Rhabdopterus picipes damage and see if that fits the bill.

Thanks for your response!

It was too wet to try to check last night, but will try again this evening.

On doing a Google search for beetles and holly, I found references to "infested containers from the nursery".

That leads me to wonder if these Hollies were already infested before they planted, and if I should expect the landscaper to take care of this.

The landscaper did guarantee his work, but after the fact, I realize I don't know "against what".

He came out when I first noticed the leaf holes, a few weeks ago, when other plants were just beginning to leaf out.

He said the insects were eating the Hollies because nothing else was available, and since other plants were beginning to grow, the insects would go there, instead.

I believed him, so wasn't paying close attention to the Hollies, and let the problem get ahead of me.

Now, it's on ALL my Nellie R Stevens Hollies, but Photinia right next to them, aren't affected at all.

I don't think I'd be all that thrilled with his response because if your plants are being devoured by cranberry beetles, they are devouring your hollies because that's pretty much what they like to munch on. It does sound as if your hollies were a trojan horse when you purchased them. You really do need to check at night but my guess is this is what is defoliating your plants. If it is, I'd ask him to take the plants back to the wholesaler where he bought them for a refund and I'd ask for a refund as opposed to replacements. At this point, he dug the holes for you so get help over in the Trees and Shrubs Forum and select your own replacements. You can do it!

Here's a link I just found-
http://citybugs.tamu.edu/IntheNews_Details.asp?ID_Key=429

Look familiar? Read up on the life cycle of that icky.

Yes, that looks exactly like it!

I will get out there with a flashlight tonight, but I think you've nailed the problem.

I can ASK the landscaper to take them back and refund my money, but I'm betting it will be a real battle unless I can prove that the only way this could have happened is if the plants were infested before he planted them, and also that it should come under his guarantee.

Now that you have put me on the right path, I will dig in and read whatever I can find.

While I'm "fairly" good at Internet searches most of the time, in this case, I just couldn't get it narrowed down enough to do any good.

Thanks very much!

CJ

Good for you!

I'd put your concerns in writing and tell him to remove them and credit your account.

Maybe the reason I’ve found so little information is that the Cranberry Weevil has been considered a problem only for cranberry and blueberry growers in the NorthEast.

But... from what I've read in the last few hours, that may not be the case for much longer.

According to Texas Cooperative Extension, at:

http://citybugs.tamu.edu/IntheNews_Details.asp?ID_Key=429

"Though poorly studied in Texas, the cranberry weevil is the most likely cause of mysterious curved holes that appear overnight on tender, new holly foliage."

Other facts I’ve just learned:

- It is so difficult to control that it can cause the loss of entire crops of cranberries or blueberries.

- The only effective control is so toxic that the grower must obtain a "Crisis Exemption" to even buy it.

- It looks a bit like a flea, and is not much larger. When disturbed, it rolls up and drops to the ground, making it difficult to find.

A good write-up, complete with photos, is here:

http://www.umaine.edu/umext/cranberries/cweevil.htm

The photo to the left, from the above website, is titled:

A pair of cranberry weevils crawling along the top of a baby food jar.

Unfortunately, I think you might have Rhabdopterus picipes. No viable biological controls out there for them which leaves you with having to mess around with chemicals and timing them properly for optimal control. Control isn't by any means eradication and I suspect you might be battling these for a while if you hang onto those hollies.

Why don't you scrape a few off your leaves and put them in a plastic baggie and then call your landscaper and politely ask him to please come and get those hollies out of your ground so that he can return them to the wholesaler he bought them from. I really don't like his response to you that they were eating your hollies because nothing else was available. What are you supposed to do... offer them a smorgasbord of plants they like in addition to your hollies so they can multiply? In addition to hollies, cranberries, and blueberries; they also like to chow down on azaleas, viburnums, and camellia. Probably others out there they'd like too.

I'm a pretty reasonable person but I'd want those beetle infested plants out of my yard.

Oh my! This is SO discouraging. [sob]

I'm afraid you are right.

I just came in from exploring the hollies with a flashlight.

I was able to spot only one suspect, but the wind was blowing the leaves around so much that it was hard to see anything at all.

I tried to capture him, but he got away from me, and I couldn't find another.

It was a beetle all right, reddish brown, and looked like those in the photo on the baby food jar lid, but was much bigger. Probably more than twice as big as I was expecting.

I know it's going to be a battle because I've already gone through one round of having to make the landscaper honor his contract.

He put in a ground soaker with a timer as a watering system and it wasn't working properly... it was flooding my yard and my neighbor's yard, and I couldn't get him to come back. After several weeks I threatened to sue him in small claims court. Then he finally came back and fiddled with it a bit, but he hasn't been back to check on it, nor has he been back to check on the bugs.

I dread having to go through that again, but I guess there's no other way.

Thanks so much for your help!

CJ

I feel really bad for you however those hollies would go bye bye if they were on my property.

OK... I know you are right, and I've started the process.

I called the landscaper. He didn't pick up the phone, so I left a message, but said only that the bugs on the Hollies are getting really bad and he needs to come look at them.

That will give him the chance to make it right, if that's what he intends to do.

If he doesn't call or show up, I'll mail him an entire re-cap of the situation, together with whatever third opinions I've been able to gather and results of my research from the Internet.

That was one thing I learned from reading up on small business claims... you have to give them notice in writing. I don't remember exactly, but think it was 30 days in Texas... long enough that -- when dealing with plants and seasons -- there isn't much time to waste trying to be nice.

Thanks again!

CJ






This message was edited May 17, 2007 6:29 AM