RE: CULT: Holes in Leaves
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: RE: CULT: Holes in Leaves
- From: "* M* <I*@msn.com>
- Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 22:41:48 -0600 (MDT)
One other possibility for the holes might be leaf-cutter bees, though I don't
know if they pick on iris leaves. These bees cut perfect circles out of
leaves and take them back to their nests, but they don't usually cause much
damage, and they are pollinators, so best to live and let live.
Barb, in Santa Fe, where a lone bumblebee is trying to pollinate the irises as
fast as I am.
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From: iris-l@rt66.com on behalf of Sharon McAllister
Sent: Monday, May 26, 1997 10:14 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: CULT: Holes in Leaves
Rima wrote:
: a huge grouping of iris clumps with tall leaves, dark green with purple
: spreading up them from the top of the rz about 2" high, healthy rzs
: properly above the ground, and big round holes in the centers of the
: leaves with no edge chewing. Right next to this is a large group of
: iris clumps, smaller in size, lighter green, n purple on the bottoms,
: absolutely no sign of anything wrong--no holes, etc,--and bloomstalks
: even on the smallest.
: What is causing the holes?
How big are the holes? Does the surrounding leaf appear to be diseased or
damaged?
Sometimes Ladybug larvae attach themselves to iris leaves to pupate. When the
adult ladybug emerges, a clean, ladybug-size hole is left in the leaf. I
discovered this because I'm very protective of my ladybugs at all stages of
their development. I've concluded that a few leaf holes are a small price to
pay for the pest control they provide.
So I advise against spraying unless you've identified a pest.
Sharon McAllister
73372.1745@compuserve.com
