something eating my hibiscus leaves!!

Whatever it is, it is chowing down on the leaves. I just got back in from checking it. I had a really bright flashlight..I saw NO bugs or any kind!! I have been noticing this for the last few days. Any ideas?? The leaves are not turning brown..they look healthy as ever, but with pieces or chunks gone! Help!

In florida sometimes its feral iguanas.they LOVE hibiscus leaves.They feed during the day though. :-)

turbo, same thing happening here. "something" is in texas. my leaves look like swiss cheese, too.

Maybe slugs/snails? I don't know if they like hibiscus or not, never had a problem with them on mine, but that sounds like the damage they do.

ecrane, no slugs or snails..This is really driving me nuts! I have seen a stray ant or two..but no more than that..and in this part of the country..ants are a given!..I dont have an ant bed in or around them..I just can NOT figure this out. It is truly like something invisible is sneaking in! I have been out at all hours of the day AND NIGHT! My neighbors think I am nuts! None of them are much into gardening..not hibiscus anyway..I am truly stumped!
mamajack, you seen anything at all???? Where bouts is Fate located?

I had the same thing going on last spring/early summer with some of my plants. You can put an end to it using "Bayer Tree and Shrub" systemic, but I don't like to use that on my hibiscus as I feed some of my flowers to tortoises. I kept looking for small catapillars on the backs of leaves, but never could see any. Sure did seem like worm damage though.
Marcy

I still think it could be slugs or snails, you won't always see them unless there are a ton of them, I've had lots of plants damaged by them and never saw the snail that did it. Sometimes you'll see the silver slimy trail and sometimes you'll see them, but not always! If there's any chance that could be who's eating your leaves, try getting some copper and putting it around the edge of the pot, they won't crawl over it.

Hey Turbosbabe96:

Could it be grasshoppers? We have hibiscus in the ground down here in Florida too .... don't get grasshoppers very often at all, but the past month I've seen a few and they do chew holes in my hibiscus! Do you have a photo you can post?

Lin

Well, I am going to go with the possibility of slugs or snails..No silver trails..That reminds me when I was a kid, little kid...I used to see those trails on the patio or drive..and when I learned what they were from, it just always intrigued me for some reason..Anyway, back to the subject..I have tried the Bayer..and I, too, prefer not to use chemicals. I am working VERY hard at going to organic gardening..You know, I had not even realized this until you mentioned it Lin..I have not seen ANY grasshoppers or crickets down here! Way different from East Texas..hmmm..wonder why? Glad, though, I guess..Lord knows I have enough problems with critters down here..I see a new bug every day..I run in ..and look and look in the bug files til I find it to see if it is friend or foe!
Except for the dang chew places, my hibiscus looks wonderful. Got up this morning and there were 4 newly opened large blooms and I have about 4 more that will probably open tomorrow!!
Ecrane...copper? as in like copper wiring??? I have some copper jewelry my DH brought back from the San Pedro region of Northern Chile, but I might risk trouble if I use that! LOL!

I think you can buy copper foil at a hardware store, you probably want something that's wider than copper wire to make a good barrier (with wire, they could probably slide across it before they even realize it hurt them!) They might sell it at garden centers too since it's a good nontoxic way to control slugs/snails

If you are into Organic, and have access to crushed eggshells, spread them around the plants, snails won't crawl over them.

Oh good!! I am very much trying to go totally organic with my gardening! Thanks for a great tip! I will try this for sure..It is odd, though. This is the ONLY plant this is happening to..I have other hibiscus..and lots of other plants..It is driving me nuts!

Here is a pic of the hibiscus that its leaves are being eaten..You kinda have to look close. I mean, other than this, the plant looks great and as you can see, is still blooming!

those leaves look a little high for snails to me. anyone else? did you already try spaying insecticidial soap and/or neem oil?

Well yall..guess what? This truly has been drivin me nuts. I was on another forum and saw a link that I thought certainly couldnt hurt for me to ck it out and see what I may come up with. The closest thing I came to was a leafminer. There HAS been these little irridescent looking fly type things on them..What do yall think? I have done Neem once..Last week..But we have had so much rain lately, I didnt figure it would do much good to reapply it. We are supposed to get deluged tonight..but cool OFF! ThankGod! It is sooooo hot and humid out!..Oh well, let me know what yall think!(and should i go ahead with the neem?)

Try going out at night and looking for a little brown/gray beetle that has its antennae coming out of its snout - weevil looking...
They don't fly, but they feed at night, and they love hibiscus leaves. It is called a fuller rose beetle. They devour buds, leaves blossoms. You can sometimes see their fecal matter on the leaves.
Here is a good web site with more information. Scroll down past the map for photos and the good stuff....
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/orn/beetles/fuller_rose_beetle.htm

LOL! I guess you havent been on any threads with the pic DH took of me! Here is it...havent seen any of those critters..the ugly beetles..Some of the leaves have like tan like dried leaf trails..crud..hard to describe it..it is like the green has been sucked out but the leave itself is still here..and then in some areas chunks of the leaf itself are gone..
now..back to eh pic..this is my typical nightly routine! only reason i am not out there now is rain!!

CEEJAY!!!! GUESS WHAT??? I DID make it out last night..(see PETS forum and read: Turkish Angora Rescue and you will see why!) I know I had told you about the fly looking things.Well, those turned out to be nothing..BUT I DID find one of those dang Fuller Rose Beetles!!!! So, what do you recommend? I will go organic or the regular ole pesticide stuff. I just want them GONE!!!! Oh CeeJay..YOU are my newest, bestest friend!!!!! Never thought I would be so happy about a bug..NOT that I am happy it has been after my hibiscus!!!!

That's great! I think. You can hand pick if is just a light infestation. Of course, that would be at night. The insecticides carbaryl (Sevin) and acephate (Orthene) control these beetles. You will need to avoid spraying flowers so as to not kill bees - Sevin is highly toxic to bees. Another problem: Orthene is systemic (which is a good thing when you are trying to destroy bad guys) and gets taken up into the flower, which kills anything nectaring - such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds. If you don't have any flowers, then Orthene would be my choice (IF you have enough beetles to justify). Just because it is systemic and lasts longer...
Am I making any sense?