How to identify and get rid of leaf miners

Has someone been carving serpentine tunnels in the leaves of your favorite plants? It looks like someone has been doodling on your leaves but from the inside!

Who could be doing this to your garden?

That's the job of a leaf miner.

Leaf miners might not be the first pest you think of when safeguarding your garden, but if you love keeping your greens in top shape, you'll want to keep an eye out for these sneaky little insects. They carve out intricate tunnels in leaves, not just ruining the aesthetic of your plants but also weakening them over time. What starts as a few squiggly lines can lead to significant damage if not checked.

These pests aren't limited to one type of insect. They are the larvae of a number of flies, moths, wasps, and even a few beetles. These insects lay their eggs on or inside a leaf, and the larvae begin tunneling through the inner layers of the leaf. Often, the shape of the tunnel can help identify the type of leaf miner you are dealing with.

Leaf miners typically eat a specific type or family of plants, ranging from vegetable crops and ornamentals to deciduous trees and shrubs.

Leaf miners are easiest to identify by the trails they leave behind in leaves. These trails or "mines" are created as the larvae tunnel through the leaf tissue, feeding between the upper and lower surfaces. These patterns can be serpentine (which weave back and forth), blotch (large and rounded), or tentiform (which means the tunnels are bulging outward).

Infested leaves may show blotchy mining patterns and severe infestations can lead to premature leaf drop, which weakens the plant over time.

How big are leaf miners?

Leaf miners themselves are pretty small, about 1/8th of an inch in size. However, the tunnels they create can be several inches long!

Leaf miners are found throughout the United States, affecting a variety of ornamental and vegetable plants.

It can be difficult to get rid of leaf miners entirely since they are well protected inside the leaf once they hatch. However, if you do find leaf miners in your plants, you can remove infected leaves to reduce their numbers.

Additionally, you can use an insect perimeter spray to repel leaf miners from coming near your garden or plants. Pestie offers a pro-grade DIY solution that allows you to set up a pest barrier for your home and property. Keep the bugs out with minimal effort!