Gray pest; What is it?

[julieone]

I've got a lot of autumn clematis on the front of my home. For the last 2 years we've gotten these gray/tan bugs that eat all the leaves and most of the flowers. They show up right after the clematis starts blooming. They are about 1/2 inch long (kinda big for a bug) and have wings. Don't know what they are so don't know what to use to get rid of them. They seem to leave everything else alone (roses, wisteria, daylilies, etc.). I"ve got pictures but don't have a website to post them to. At any rate, they eat all the way through the clematis in about 7-10 days leaving only the branches and no leaves/flowers whatsoever. Any ideas? :?:

[julieone]

After I posted I kept looking on the internet. I found the answer at another garden site. It would appear that the bug is the blister beetle. Info on that site indicates that Sevin will kill them but is there something organic I could use instead? They are just decimating my clematis!

[CaptainCompostAL]

Try a little garlic powder, hot pepper powder, canola oil mixed in a tea on the pest.

[Kathe Kitchens]

Anyone ever had luck with peppermint soap & water on these guys? Seems like pyrethrin spray knocks 'em back some too. How about Bioganic liquid spray or DE instead of sevin dust? Rotenone will work but it sure is strong.

[CaptainCompostAL]

Kathe is right. All those suggestions should work fine.
Diluted chewing tobacco teas are actually less toxic than rotenone, even though most organic experts still list rotenone, not tobacco, as certified alternative pest controls.