Marianne's Response

What’s eating my plants

I have carefully inspected the leaves on my coleus and I cant determine what is nibbling away at them during the night. They are in pots. No broken stems, no slug trails. Otherwise, they are very healthy

Posted by Kathleen Troutman on July 31, 2026

Marianne's Response

My best guess is that sow bugs or earwigs are the nibblers on your coleus leaves. These critters will hide in the soil during the day and feed at night. You can go out with a flashlight at night to check for what is feeding. Another way to capture the guilty parties is to set a small piece of potato or a damp wad of grease-soaked newspaper near the plants. Night feeding insects will hide in the potato wedge or newspaper so that you can collect them in the morning. Happy hunting. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti