What's eating my supertunia 'vista bubblegum'?

Supertunia 'Vista Bubblegum' shares petunia pest pressure: tobacco budworms are the top threat, destroying buds before flowers open. Aphids colonise stem tips, and caterpillars chew foliage and petals. As a vigorous hanging-basket or container plant, it is also browsed by deer and rabbits if placed at ground level.

Buds with small bore holes that never open; chewed petals; tiny caterpillars concealed in remaining blooms. Spray with spinosad or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in the evening. Remove and bin infested buds. Repeat applications weekly through summer.

Clusters of green or black insects on new growth and buds; honeydew residue, curled leaves. Knock off with a water jet. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray every 5–7 days until colonies collapse.

Ragged holes in leaves and flowers; frass on petals; stems notched near soil on young plants. Hand-pick in the evening. Apply Bt spray to foliage as a safe, targeted biological control.

Plants browsed to stubs overnight; stems stripped cleanly. Use commercial deer/rabbit repellent spray; reapply every 7–10 days and after rain. Raise containers off the ground or use wire fencing.