Disease & Destructive Insect control in BF garden

DH and I have been working on major changes to our back yard for the last year with focus on it being BF and bird friendly. Recently, a tiny black beetle devoured the leaves of each and every coreopsis we have, both front and back yard. Once I discovered what the culprit was, I sprayed those plants with Neem, being careful not to spray anywhere near blooms on other plants, and there is some regrowth now on the coreopsis. But will it harm the BFs or birds to use Neem in that manner?

Photo attached of foliage damage that I assume is some type of leaf miner but really not sure. I'm finding this down close to the ground on several plants.

I worry about using the wrong thing but feel I've got to do something to control this type thing or there won't be any flowers for BFs to nectar on. Would appreciate advice on this.

Thanks.

Glenna...I enlarge that pic and still looks like frass (poop) to me. What is the plant in the picture?

The photo is poppy foliage. I have never grown them before and they are way too thick and it was hard to see the damage. The foliage is so fragile I didn't want to handle it much but now that it is really damaged, might as well reach in there and examine it closer.

The attached photo is what I found: It is tiny green worms but not so many that they are easy to find. Should I just cut off a lot of the foliage that is damaged or leave it and treat with what?

I wouldn't remove the damged leaves until the destruction stops. I think it may be armyworms, but Dale (lepfarmer) would know for sure.
Here is a few hundred pictures. http://bugguide.net/node/view/6018/bgimage

We have had a lot of damage to our Coreopsis at the fielder house garden, they totally devoured all the plants we have. I think it was flea beetles, we didn't spray, just cut the plants back, I think they will recover.

Josephine...look at the cat in that last picture...do you think that is an armyworm?

It could be Sheila, but it looks a little too green and transparent, here is a picture of an adult one.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/images/Biosecurity_GeneralPlantHealthPestsDiseaseAndWeeds/CommonArmyworm-Larva-500.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_7909.htm&h=285&w=500&sz=38&tbnid=4084TQZm-IIk5M:&tbnh=74&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Darmyworms&zoom=1&q=armyworms&usg=__EvLZ1Qcx-tlSipWRPg_I_6MNhLw=&sa=X&ei=TVuSTbzDG4aUtwe655x1&ved=0CEAQ9QEwBg

I do think they look different at certain stages.