Most likely earwigs that like to stay hidden during the day and only come out at night. See the link below on how to control earwigs without pesticides. I am sure there are other organic approaches to controlling earwigs and they can be found by using Google or similar search engine. Others here who have had to contend with the critters will likely chime in with what they have had success with.

Here is a link that might be useful: Earwigs

I agree, earwigs are notorious for eating holes in buds and blooms of Clemmies.

Grrr - earwigs!

Some of my clematis are being decimated along with coneflowers, buddlia, daisy, lamium and others. I'm not sure if the lamium and the buddlia can take much more. Most of the leaves are so full of holes there is little left of them. The situation is so bad that there were baby earwigs on the daisys last evening at 7 pm! I spray them with hort oil, which suffocates them. I also dusted with diatomatious earth last evening, but it washes away when I water.

My garden is starting to look ragged already and it's only the middle of June :-(

I hate using pesticides, but I'm getting tempted to have the area sprayed under my deck, which is a prime hiding spot for earwigs and the source of most of my problems.

There are trapping methods you can use, but my skin was crawling last night when I was watering the pots and earwigs were falling and crawling everywhere. A horror movie in my own backyard.

Wonder if earwigs would take borax bait?
Birds will also steal petals of flowers you know....I very often have seen them take a white petunia flower.
Linda C

I'm going to get out the systemic rose drench from Bayer. I have some young, tiny Clems that are being eaten down to nubs over and over and can't get growing. I'm afraid they are going to croak.

I'm going to do some newspaper traps too. Earwigs don't bother me.

I'd spray orthene but it harms fish and I have too many ponds.

Thank you soooo much everyone. The little devils have been hiding from me so I haven't had the faintest idea what they were to begin killing the little devils off! You all are so helpful. I love my clems! I hate to see them looking so sad!

I managed to keep them under control by trapping in newspaper rolls and cat food cans. Unfortunately, organic methods like hort oil work on contact only.

Josey! You get em tiger! LOL! Mine are finally wiped out! Yay! Ready for seed collecting soon and am starting some new clems from cuttings. Wish me luck!
Tracy

I tried the soy trap too. It worked, but then some critter stole the container, pulled off the lid, & left the container on the other side of the fence, on property belonging to a home owners' association. Now I have to wait for another cheese container to become available (here, honey, eat some more!). Never thought I'd have to weigh down or secure a bug trap.

LOL entling! That is hillarious! Enjoy the cheese! We have skunk and racoons that get ours every now and again. Went to the door one night to see what the ruckus was and shoo away the coons... SURPRISE! It was a big fat skunk! Glad I looked before I lept! LOL!