Got winding transparent lines on your plants’ leaves? That indicates leaf miner, which is the larvae stage of various beetles, flies, moths, and sawflies. Larvae burrow into the leaf after hatching, tunnel through the leaf to feed, and leave a transparent trail behind. Damage is unsightly and a severe or repeated infestation can stress the plant and weaken it.
Scheduling a dormant oil spray for February can help keep populations in control. The other solution is to schedule a systemic and contact insecticide when the adult leaf miner hatch to prevent their laying eggs.
