There are a number of insects that could be making holes in the leaves, but if there is nothing to see when you look the most likely culprit is a slug or snail. But, before you even do something like spray with cold, caffienated coffee you still need to identify the culprit and determine it the damage done is unacceptable.

Hi Cecily, I have an acre and there is a lot of undeveloped land around me. I've tried the beetle bags but I am certain they were a gift to my neighbors because I believe all the beetles came to my house. In fact, in recent years my next door neighbor has been putting out the bags and I swear, that is why I have had so little trouble with beetles myself. For a few years I was growing Hybiscus as an annual. But those bushes drew the beetles better than the bags did and by July the leaves looked like lace. I stopped growing them because of it. Since getting rid of the Hybiscus, the only beetle damage I've endured was on my Rose of Sharon. I have a huge bush in a fairly concealed spot, I don't like the flowers anyway, and it has kept the beetles busy for the past few years. The Rose of Sharon and my neighbor's bags, lol. I've been relieved that my Knockouts haven't had beetle damage. And just as I was certain they were the ultimate flowering shrubs, I see slug and beetle damage! Oh well. If it were all easy, everyone would have yards full of flowers wouldn't they? Thanks for the comment on the Sevin. This business about protecting good bugs is new to me, but I'm going to do my best to go with it in the future.

Don't look at the leaves. The white stuff on the leaves is not the problem. It is morning dew with the sun hitting it. The leaves are beautiful and clean. It is the "chickenpox" on the canes that I am worried about. All the canes have those green spots that are slightly raised. I can see no holes to indicate that an insect has punctured the area, but I can't be sure that it is not insect damage. On the other hand, I'm concerned that it is a disease of some kind.

Hi Jaybirdyj, " ...but if I had a zapper it would be terrible to go out one morning and find a beautiful Luna moth laying dead underneath it, realizing I was responsible. " This is kind of funny. We do have Luna moths here, big ones, and they are very much attracted to our house lights and the bug zapper, and I frequently do go out in the morning and find a Luna moth on the bug zapper. Always completely unharmed and just sleeping. I always disturb it so it will wake up and fly away and not remain to be in danger from a bird. Bug zappers have an outer plastic grid that prevents larger creatures from getting access to the interior high voltage metal grid. And that includes larger moths like Luna moths and Hawk moths. It would include Cecropia moths, but I haven't seen one of those in Kansas. I wake the Luna moths up and let them fly away for their own good, and I would do the same for a Cecropia moth. But I do kill the sleeping Hawk moths for my own good. (They lay eggs that hatch into hornworms -- so they are the enemy.) There are several sizes of hawk moths in this area, and the largest is heavier than a hummingbird. They can be huge. And so can their hornworms. " I've had similar things like that happen in the past and know I will carry that sadness and regret with me the rest of my life. In my experience, whenever I use some method to kill what I ignorantly consider a "pest" some other beautiful creature walks into the trap and gets killed instead. " We use Havahart catch-and-release traps to make sure that doesn't happen. But you shouldn't be carrying sadness and regret for the rest of your life. That doesn't do anybody any good. Just file those unfortunate events under lessons learned, and resolve not to repeat the mistakes. ZM