Rounded hole appearing sometimes without breaking the skin of leaves.

[Lord Walter]

These hole have been appearing since the plants started growing. Mostly on the cabbage. There are no signs of insects no matter how hard I look I cant find what is causing the holes. I thought I found it once and it was just a baby praying mantis.

Some times the erosion doesn't completely make it through the leafs and leaves a see through film of the leaves skin. I have noticed a few white spots other plants but the holes haven't formed under them so not sure if this is related.

We have tried many things like powders (against small insects), neem oil, and other organic safe pesticides. Nothing seems to stop it.

I'm beginning to think its either a nocturnal insect or some type of fast acting mold or fungus. It could also be some type of larva since there are these bluish fury looking wasp flys that live in the garden. They were out there before we started planting. I have only seen these types of wasp/flys around camp sites or park dumpsters so not sure what these insects are call either and I have put a lot of effort searching for them online but there were no hits that matched exactly to what they look like.

I will post some pictures here shortly from my phone.

 

[Lord Walter]

 

[Lord Walter]

I found something it was a truly elusive creepy crawler. Six legs and had its eyes on me like no other insect I've ever seen. It constantly moved out of sight while i tried to get a picture. This was the best I could get after a few minutes of circling it the insect finally sat still.

 

[Beth_B]

I hope someone can identify that! Pic is a bit blurry but I'm sure I have seen those in my garden, though never correlated them to plant damage.

 

[Lord Walter]

 

[Lord Walter]

 

[Lord Walter]

i think those are ground dwelling bees so i went back out because i wacked this wasp that was getting on the plants with a tennis racket. couldn't find it so went to see if there was another one. got a picker. I'm pretty sure i found the problem! YES!!!!

Look at this thing making a gooey package of leaves to get fat on. I think it's called a saw fly. Actually look at the waist its super thin so this is a wasp some kind of wasp and not a fly.

 

[Lord Walter]

ok well i took this seriously enough to take pictures and post it onto this cool gardening forum and as it turns out that effort paid off because I caught the criminals in the act. I went out and bought some wasp traps and hopefully they do a good job. They are basically bright green cylinders coated in sticky goo. I'm hoping to see the wasps get stuck on them.

They are called paper wasps.

 

[Beth_B]

Yes those are nasty! Many wasps are beneficial in the garden because they eat harmful insects, and not all wasps will bother people.

Just remember that if you have paper wasps in your garden, they have a big nest somewhere nearby. Would be best if you found and eliminated that nest. Also don't put those traps near your house or garden; they probably contain an attractant which will lure them in. And if you have a big nest, that could be hundreds or even thousands of wasps. So be careful!

 

[Lord Walter]

Solution found! A bright green sticky wasp trap. They have already caught six fat wasps.

 

[Lord Walter]

Yes those are nasty! Many wasps are beneficial in the garden because they eat harmful insects, and not all wasps will bother people.

Just remember that if you have paper wasps in your garden, they have a big nest somewhere nearby. Would be best if you found and eliminated that nest. Also don't put those traps near your house or garden; they probably contain an attractant which will lure them in. And if you have a big nest, that could be hundreds or even thousands of wasps. So be careful!

Yeah I watched the one in the first picture I posted fly over the back yard fence with his gooey leaf ball. Since the nest is not in our yard there is nothing I can do about the nest except maybe look over the fence with some binoculars and if there is a confirmed sighting of the nest then I would have to contact the owners of the yard behind us I just hope they don't see me looking over with binoculars. Maybe a spotting scope oh that's even worse but if they see and complain I'll just have to say... "Hey look... You guys are growing paper wasps in your back yard and they are eating my garden."