Hosta leaves look like something burnt holes through them.

This has been happening for the past few years but this summer looks really bad.
They are along a small retaining wall along part of the driveway and get a lot of sun, but not all day. What causes this? I do have fresh green leaves growing on the end of the row.

 

Have you looked on the underside of the leaves for bugs ? May be slugs !

 

Check the underside of the leaves early in the morning, around daybreak ! Looks like slug damage !

 

Hi @Beeker I have to agree with mart it definitely looks like slugs and where they've munched on your leaves it's causing deadness and to find them your talking about hunting early in the night just after 1am to catch them.
You can buy Hostas that don't attract slugs

 

I took a closer look this morning, and I saw some entirely munched leaves. I do agree with the slug diagnosis.
These aren't my hostas, so I cannot replace them. Is there any organic way I can deter slugs?

 

Beeker this links show 12 different organic ways and the best of luck

http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/organic-gardening/know-your-enemy-the-slug.html

 

I make a slug trap out of an old yoghurt cup and pour beer into it.
Slugs and snails do really like hosta's.

 

Sjoerd I put around the one plant they was destroying a square spiked edging and added coffee besides lavender and it still had the cheek to go over it

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It just makes you shake your head, doesn't it. I'll tell you what--I have not had a great deal of success with deterring them.Droopy, a member on here sent me a slug trap once and I have used it with success. I think that the only disadvantage is that it was a bit large. My yoghurt traps with holes in the sides works the best so far and it is small and inexpensive.

Ach wel--you get full marks for trying. That exotic piece of kit there looks foreboding...I thinks that snails are too dumb to recognize the threatening appearance though...they just carry on, undeterred.

 

@Sjoerd yes they take some beating and thankfully i have plants in the garden which don't attract them..i loved my new plant it destroyed

Well i really hope your yoghurt pots keep stopping them i read about coffee and lavender stopping them and hubby brought back the spikes lol but like you say they are dumb.

 

Thank you all for the ideas.
I have to thin the hostas anyway.
I'm thinking of the beer traps and perhaps something abrasive around them that the slugs won't want to crawl over.

 

Best of luck Beeker removing them as they're one pure nightmare

 

A friend from work said to spread used coffee grounds around them and spray them with coffee. Will that work?
My better-half is an avid coffee drinker. We always have lots of grounds available to compost!

 

Beeker forget it mate already been there with no success...instead had to do night hunting after 1am in the morning but caught the culprit.