What kind of bug is eating my plants?

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malukisses

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I’ve never seen the bugs, only the holes they leave. The leaves are eaten from the edges, in little semi-circle format bites, around 1/5 inch diameter. Around the bite edges, it seems like the leaves are a little bit burned. They seem to be particularly fond of Azaleas...
 
azaleas can get hit by a vine weevil and they cause that damage ...the adults spend the day on the ground under the mulch or leaf matter around the plant
 
Could be slugs. I have Devils Trumpet Moonflowers that they eat up, they also like my Chrysanthemums. Or it could be aphids. I'd know for sure if I seen a picture of the plant. Look around your plant and see if you can see any slug "slime". You'll know it when you see it too. If it's slugs, you can repel them by putting pine straw or copper rings around your plants. I think they make a natural repellent made from Yucca Plant. Or you can find the little boogers and pour salt on them.
 
Your plants are being attacked by cutter bees. They are a tiny little bee that lays eggs in any nail sized hole they can find, and then pack pollen from your plants over the eggs, and then cut little round circles out of the edge of the leaf and pack it over the eggs and pollen to fill in the holes.

Certain crops like Alf Alfa need cutter bees to be pollinated. You can make cutter bee boards and sell them to the Farmers. Take a couple of sheets of plywood or other board, drill nail sized holes every 1/2 inch square until it is covered with holes. Set it outside and the cutter bees will fill the board with eggs, when it is full, post an ad to sell it at the local Farm and Feed Supply. If you have a farm equipment auction, take it to the auction. Farmers will buy them.

They don't do enough damage to harm your plants, and they are pollinating plants in a time when the usual pollinator (honey bee) is in decline, it may be best to let them live.
 
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