Hi, Do you know what is eating these Bay tree leaves?

Hi Naomi, if the leaves have bits eaten out of them with jagged edges, this looks like beetle damage. The photos show old damage as the new growth is not affected, but the beetles will become active again around October. They are nocturnal and so come out to feed at night, mate and drop their eggs into the soil where they form grubs. The adult beetles are hard to control due to their hard shell. Sprays are generally ineffective, a pyrethrum based spray may help reduce numbers, but talk to your local garden centre for a suitable control, they may suggest Neem granules or Diatomaceous Earth which is applied to the soil. The best time to control beetles is in the larval stage in the soil, so neem granules sprinkled on the soil around the trees may be helpful. To see if it really is beetles go out at night with a torch and a bucket of water, shake the tree and the beetles will drop to the ground (you could put a white sheet underneath to catch them). Beetles are also attracted to light, especially if you have solar lighting in the garden or an outside light, turn them off at night when not using the area. Treat the soil with a soil insect control product, your local garden centre can help with this. The other thing it could be is caterpillars, there was a really bad infestation of army worm caterpillar last summer, a pyrethrum based spray will help control them. Add mulch around the tree such as Tui Mulch & Feed, and cultivate the  soil, beetles like to lay their eggs in compacted soils. Lianne