My basil seem to have succumb to the infamous blotch leafminer. At first, I thought I had a fungus problem such as leaf spot. But upon closer inspection, it appeared different than usual. Different enough, that I decided to run a brief search for similar images. Mind you, I’m not 100% certain this is the issue, but it does appear to be the case.
Blotch Leafminer Identification
From what I could find via gardening forums and university websites, these splotches are unique. According to the University of Florida, “feeding larvae cause conspicuous blotch mines in foliage before they emerge and pupate externally. Injury to foliage by mines and oviposition punctures causes plant to be unsightly. Heavy infestations may cause some leaf mortality. Three to six larvae are common in a single leaf, frequently forming a large community mine.”
Yep, that looks to be the case! Especially the leafminer “telltale” signs of squiggly lines across the leaf. These are not as extensive as I’ve seen on other plants, but there they are–indeed!
Leafminer Control
Initially, I simply plucked the leaves from my plant. Remember, I thought this was due to over watering and figured: remove the leaves and keep the moisture off the leaves. I’m an organic gardener, so less is more when it comes to pesticides. You can opt for an insecticide to control them, however you must apply at the appropriate times or you risk missing the larva and the flies will continue to grow and pester your plant.
Neem oil is an option, as is locating some parasitic wasps known as Diglyphus isaea. These are “beneficials,” bugs that attack the bugs attacking your plants. The wasps basically attack and paralyze the leafminer larvae. Problem solved! How do you convince these wasps to visit your garden? Good question. You can always purchase them. There are nurseries that sell the wasps, so do a little checking and then set them loose to do their thing!
Leafminer Prevention
Visiting your garden every day is not only a delight to the senses and a boost to the mood, it is an excellent method of insect control. By spotting problems early, you can limit the damage wreaked on your garden. A few leaves lost to insect damage is nothing. Your plants will survive. Discovering an infestation is horrific, especially when you’ve worked so hard to make a nice home for your plants! Take it from me, a little prevention is worth that pound of cure.
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