My sister chopped all the shrubs down to about 1 foot in height and then sprayed the heck out of them with the insecticidal soap. I received some advice from my friend Brian : It's most likely a grasshopper that's chewing on the hibiscus. Aphids and the like do not chew leaves. They are sucking insects. We have some large grasshoppers here that relish both the hibiscus and some of our more tender palm fronds. We tolerate them because they do not do too much damage. The lubber grasshoppers are another story altogether, but we haven't seen those on the property yet.

I have to admit I haven't seen any grasshoppers around my folks' property, just little frogs, but they could certainly be the culprits making mulch out of the hibiscus leaves. My sister and I will keep an eye out for them to see if that's the problem. We'll keep you posted. Huge thanks to Brian for his suggestions - I really enjoy visiting his site as I learn something every time I do. For instance, the birds I hear at night that are rather breathy-sounding are called Chuck-will's-widow. Next to the mourning dove, they are my favorite. Take some time and visit The Taming of the Band-Aid when you get the chance. Happy Florida Gardening.