My rudbeckia are starting to bloom, and they're not in good shape. Something is eating the petals and the leaves...more petals than leaves. There's not any honeydew residue. There are some black specks on them, but those specks don't appear to be alive, so maybe they're poop?
Here's a picture of a leaf that's been eaten. Most of the leaves look normal, but all of the flowers that have come out so far are eaten.
And the little black bits that are mostly in the junctions of leaves and stems.
Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I had thrips on my daylilies earlier this year because we went the whole month of May without rain, but this doesn't look like the same type of damage.
Thanks!
Blair
Not sure--but it may be some kind of caterpillars chewing away.
Often at night when you don't see anything....
The black residue is their poop....
Gita
