I have two first year plants a cascade and nugget. They have done really well but recently I have been finding some hop cones that look like they have been hollowed out and left behind. I have checked the plants at different hours of the day. I've read that some pests are more easily spotted earlier in the morning or late at night. I've looked the plants over from top to bottom and still nothing. I haven't seen any mites or aphids. I did see what I thought to be a Japanese beetle but that was over a month ago and I haven't seen any more. I have seen ants all over my plants and read that sometimes they harvest the nectar from aphids I believe it was. Since I haven't seen any I'm wondering if that's the issue. I have seen some small spiders and lady bugs which I know are beneficial. I have seen one other type of insect that I can't identify. I will try to get a picture next time I'm out there. As I said the amount of hop cones this is happening to isn't too significant, but if I can eliminate it all together I would feel better. Here are some pics of my fallen soldiers.
