Click on the link for natural parasites under solutions. Planting flowering plants that attract them seems to be the best way to go. You could probably order them online, but once they clean up for you, they want nectar to feed on and keep generations coming.

Kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: UC IPM Leaf miners

what..??? ... you want to make their eyes water??? ... lol

what kind of spray ... if gas propelled... the gas can literally freeze plant tissue ...

but before we do anything.. how many??? ... we dont kill every single bug we find ... we take action on plagues... and you give no history of any significant damage ...

just a few.. pluck them off.. and squish them ... do it every night ...

you dont have to go all rambo on every creature you find in your garden.. and never forget.. a little leaf damage is NORMAL ... and not much to be concerned with.. IMHO ... its when the actual crop is threatened.. that we take action ... and do understand.. that many thing pupate and disappear.. before harvest ever comes ...

i never had faith in adding beneficial bugs to the garden.. its like waiving money over your garden.. and hoping it has some impact... i mean really .. you release a wild creature.. and think.. somehow.. its going to stay in your garden.. not not move 10 feet over the fence to the neighbors .. they fly for crying out loud... just waive dollar bills at them.. as they fly away ... and for a nickle .. i will tell you how i really feel about them ... lol ..

ken

Ken:

Click on the link. Released last year! But I've had FLOWERS to feed the adults.

Kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: Lacewings

preventing leaf minors???

leaf minors make plain green leaves VARIEGATED..

and for a guy who collects ANYTHING BUT GREEN plants.. i usually have to pay a lot of extra money for variegation...

i can not.. in my entire life.. understand why you would be concerned about COSMETIC damage to a plant ... which was kinda sorta the point i was trying to make above ... if whatever does not affect the crop.. or the flower.. who cares what the leaves look like.. short of the 9th plague of the bible type of infestations ....

BTW.. woohoo is one of the top 5 names on GW... i hear it in my head... when i see it.. lol ... and i often think of you.. walking around your garden.. woohoo'ing.. out loud .. it really amuses me.. lol ...

ken

The pepper spray may deter the adults that lay the eggs that become the leaf miners, but once the larva are inside the leaf they are not reachable. The pepper spray may also deter the insects that are predators of leaf miners so due care in use is necessary.

Here is a link that might be useful: about leaf miners

Ken, I am hoping your first reply was a joke..but in-case it's not, I was talking about using crushed hot peppers, water, and dawn...As for waving cash at my garden... you got to be kidding me...I don't understand why you have hostility towards me, I don't even know you man. To you it may only be "COSMETIC damage", to me it tells me I am doing something wrong. Is it the end of the world...no...in-fact I said I knew it wasn't a big deal, I just wanted to know how to get rid of them.

To the others that replied thank you for the links, I am going to go with natural parasites, even though I know they will fly away...I think I'm going to get some parasitic wasps, as they should help with both pest's.

Thank you, and happy growing,
Bruce

Bruce....please pay no attention to Ken. He 's basically harmless but with very poor communication skills.

But it is important to note that he makes at least one good point. In most instances, leaf miner damage is ranked as 'cosmetic'. They're certainly not a sign that you are going something wrong.....just that these insects are present and that you happen to be growing a plant that they prefer.

The usual advice is to remove those leaves that have the little larvae inside.....you can see them. Or, pinch those little guys while still on the plant. Kill them so that they can't continue their lifecycle.

What kinds of plants have they affected?

Bruce: Just plant some alyssum, cilantro, dill, or anything in the umbelliferae family. The parasitic wasps will come to you!

Good luck.

Kevin

The leaf miners are on my tomato's,egg plant, broccoli, and cucumbers. They don't seem to be into the peppers or spinach yet. Not sure if they don't like them or just haven't got that far...They also seem to leaving the rose bush (about 4' away from the vegetable garden) alone. The caterpillars so far are staying with the broccoli and egg plant.

I wouldn't mind planting some dill, or cilantro, thanks for the idea.

as always thank you,
Bruce