There can be 2 things - you could damage the leaves while you were repotting and such - and the bent surfaces now die on the bend. Second I saw chunks eaten from my leaves - and it was a vine weevil - black beetle with elongated head with a "trunk" - and they say the larva is even worse. I know that it happened to me when I brought a potted palm from outside in a fall. They hide somewhere for a day - and feed in a night time. I think any isecticide will kill them if you spray or leach the soil with it - but the problem is that it can be detrimental to the violets as well. Hopefully Nancy Robitaille will give us an advice what to use. The lesson for me was - do not take plants outside - you never know what you are going to bring back. Or if you do - treat them as annuals. Irina

Hi, Some advice... first of all how big is the remaining plant? If it looks healthy, and you dont notice any frass or bloated, yellowing sections of the vine, then its fine. I would suggest just checking for any eggs, removing them, and covering the vine as much as possible with dirt or some mulch. This encourages the vines to send many secondary roots down. I would go ahead and plant more but first get yourself a big piece of tulle fabric. Get the 108" wide, maybe 20 ft. long section. Cover your new seedlings (bunch up the extra material next to them) but cover them well, so the egg laying moths cannot get to them. That's how the borers get into your plants. The moths fly and lay eggs on your vine. As the vine grow, keep them covered with the tulle as much as possible until you get female flowers that open up. Then you can remove the covers. When you remove them, make sure you cover the crown of the plant and as many of the vines as possible with mulch or dirt.

Thanks Trev Yes, I cannot rotate as I have many acres of woods but only a small area of plantable space. I will do what I can this fall. There is no problem with burning, I just call the sheriff dept. before we burn. I did not know about squash bugs before this year. I am well schooled now and at least know what to look for to get ahead of them next year should they reappear as I expect they will! Thanks again!

You know, Bob, that make total sense! You are right--if that much damage was done by insects, it would have been like a swarm of locust! What about groundhogs--I have seen a big old, fat one out in our yard. Do they eat veggie plant leaves? It has to be something that can stand at least a foot tall or more to reach some of the leaves. Regardless, is there anyway to save my plants? Will Sevin dust scare away critters as well as insects?