Are caterpillars eating my daisies leaves?

Question

I bought some beautiful daisies at the store & transplanted into the ground out front w/Miracle-Gro potting soil,they seemed to be doing great, getting sun & water daily but in the last week or two I noticed that the beautiful green leaves all around the bottom are FULL OF HOLES,like bugs are eating away at them.My son siad it was caterpillar(he said he learned this in school, is this true?)Why are caterpillars eating my daisy leaves & how can I keep them or whatever other bugs or insects are doing this away from my flowers?I have other flowers planted in this area as well-marigolds, petunias,sunflowers,convolvulus and have not noticed holes in the leaves but the daisy leaves are FULL of holes,I mean the holiest looking leaves I have ever seen,do I pull these leaves off? Also,when a daisy flower dies do I pull it off & will a new one grow(like with marigolds & petunias)or are they just a one time thing? Please help,this is my first year planting daisies & I love them & want them 2 last

Answer 1

Disyston sprinkled around the plant and watered in will kill the offending munchers.

Shasta Daisies are biannual. Don't bloom the first year, but do the second from now until fall.

Gerbera Daisies are perennial in zone 8, bloom now to fall

Osteospermum, African Daisies, bloom now till fall, are annual.

Grasshoppers and Japanese beatles are also pest threats.

Yes, cut off the injured leaves for aesthetic reasons, or not as you choose.

Dead heading will make the plant produce more flowers. Leave some to mature if you want to collect the seeds and grow your own.

Answer 2

most likely ur experiencing the wrath of slugs and snails! they love newly planted plants and young leaves. go to ur local walmart or lowes and purchase the product "snail geta" or theres also one in a red box "snail and slug bait II", both are equally effective in controlling this pest. sprinkle the product around but not on ur newly planted plants and it will attract the slugs and kill them before they can get to ur plants! i use it and it's great... use it around ur "hostas" if u have any!

daisies will bloom once a year so u can either let the flowers fade, go to seed, and have new plants next year or u can "deadhead" them and they will still come back next year but just the originals will come up! good luck!

Answer 3

Robert is right about slugs and snails! The granules work wonders around plants!

I usually get two blooms from my daisies. I dehead them as they die off in late spring and then they bloom once more in the mid to late summertime. It may depend on which zone you live in. The second bloom is not quite as good as the first though.

Answer 4

I actual have those pesky little ants that seem to opt to consume surprisingly plenty each little thing even the azaleas... they flow after each little thing aside from the marigolds... as much as I dislike having to do it I spray a trojan horse killer... I could desire to take the cat's in for some days and am afraid it is going to kill the butterflies... so i attempt to spray it very low and not hit the plant life... sturdy success... relish your plant life!

Answer 5

Was asking myself the same thing