Flea beetle are obnoxious piffling pests ofeggplants , radish plant and other garden plants . They may be lowly , but they can make big problem . To make matter worse , controlling flea beetles is n’t always well-heeled .
What Are Flea Beetles?
These itty , bitty members of the mallet family measure a mere 1/10 inch long . They ’re typically shiny black or dark-brown as adult , and they can be found hop around plant like a flea . There are many different metal money of this pest , but they all look very much alike and cause standardised damage patterns on plant .
Flea beetles are quick , so spotting the insects themselves can be tricky . It ’s often easier to depend for their typical damage to get a proper ID on this pest . The tiny holes their feeding leaves behind make the works look like it ’s been riddled with miniature buckshot . While eggplants and radishes are favorites , flea beetles also feed on the foliage of Lycopersicon esculentum , murphy , corn , turnips and some cole crops .
Mature plants can sustain a good bit of feeding damage from flea beetles without any issues , but young seedling can be stunt and may even die when flea mallet feeding levels are gamy . Because the plants are most susceptible while they ’re new , protecting the seedlings until they hand maturity is key to keeping this pest in check .
Controlling Flea Beetles
Because flea beetles winter as adults in garden dust , keeping the veggie patch clean is crucial . When the adult beetle awake in the springtime , they ’re athirst . Plant an early spring maw craw to keep them off worthy vegetable plants . Plant a run-in of radishes or mustard honey oil on the kayoed periphery of the garden very early in the time of year to lure the adult beetles away from fresh plant Solanum melongena and tomatoes later in the time of year . The adult mallet will also lie in ball in this trap domain , instead of around desirable plants .
As larvae , flea mallet live underground . These petite larvae be in the top layer of soil and feed on the roots of server plants . Because the adult are so tight - moving , controlling flea beetles is often more successful when these pests are in their larvae point . Beneficial nematodes(Heterorhabditis bacteriophora ) added to the soil in other summer helps ensure future generations of this plague . These beneficial nematodes are living being that direct larvae of flea beetles . They ’re broadly applied by mixing the nematodes with water ( they come in mealy build ) and watering the soil , lead them to tunnel down and attack the vernal flea beetles .
Row covers can also be an effective way of control flea beetles , but concern has to be postulate to ensure that you are n’t entrap newly go forth grownup mallet underneath the cloth . The fabric must be murder when the plants get along into flower if the craw is something that needs to be pollenate .
There are also several organic insecticides pronounce for utilization against flea beetles , includingspinosad - based products , pyrethrins and neem . Yellow pasty traps place around and in between plants also work to trap the adult beetle .
Flea beetle are one of the most annoying garden pests , but with a fiddling effort , managing their numbers is possible .
