Adult flea beetles overwinter in … It is a jumping insect so mind everything that hops around your tomatoes. Other host plants of the different species of flea beetle include kale, broccoli, horseradish, eggplant, grape, currants, and willow, among others. ... It’s a natural substance that’s safe for tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and other veggies. More information on flea beetles. The beetle targets tasty plants in the families Solanaceae (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers) and Brassicaceae (including cole crops: broccoli, kale, cabbage, collards). According to the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension, blister beetles are chewing insects that attack your tomato plants by chewing holes in the foliage. They tend to do the most damage at the start of a season once they’ve emerged from their winter hiding spots in the early spring. Tomato leaf with old flea beetle feeding and early blight. They damage plants by chewing small “shotholes” in the foliage. Flea beetles are attracted to radishes, which you can plant as a trap crop and then use traps or an insecticide to kill the tomato pests. Homemade flea beetle traps are made using 4-inch by 6-inch or larger rectangles of cardboard that are painted white or yellow and then coated with a sticky substance such as petroleum jelly or nonsetting glue. Flea beetles, for the most part, are attracted to small seedlings of common European vegetable crops. How to Identify Flea Beetles. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in urban and regional studies. Figure 3. You will see small holes that create a sieve-like appearance. Plant a trap crop, like radish, before tomatoes. Adult flea beetles are small in size. Controlling weeds around and in potato fields is a key part of holding down flea beetle populations. Diatomaceous earth can also help provide control against soft-bodied pests such as caterpillars, leaf hoppers and thrips. It is critical to protect newly transplanted eggplant from flea beetles. She has received awards for being a top content producer. Set transplants into the garden when temperatures are consistently above 55 degrees, then immediately protect with row cover which will warm the plants somewhat and will be a barrier to the beetles. Insects like lady beetles, soldier beetles and syrphid flies protect your garden from black bugs. Drip the vegetable oil and neem oil into your bucket. Larvae [youngsters] live in the soil, are slender, whitish, and about 0.25 inch long when mature. Some of the holes go all the way through the leaf; others do not, merely leaving a blemish. Since flea beetles tend to stay around potato plants, crop rotation may play a key role. Sierra Club Canada: Pest Control Spray You Can Make in Your Kitchen! The potato flea beetle is about 1/10 inch long and brownish black. It sounds pretty, but it can destroy your plant. Figure 1. Flea beetles eat tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beets, cabbage, corn, and related crops. These tiny insects are found in different colors like black, brown or blue. However, you can also consider ‘trap crops’ such as radish which may help lure the flea beetles away from your treasured tomatoes. Flea beetles chew irregular holes in the foliage of plants. Flea beetles have been out in full force so far this year. Some species may have white or yellow stripes on their wing cases. Adults emerge from the soil in mid-spring and feed on young foliage of these crops. You can identify flea beetle damage by the irregularly shaped pits and holes in the leaves of your tomatoes. To make this type of spray, about six garlic cloves are crushed and blended with a tablespoon of cayenne pepper powder or a similar hot pepper powder or sauce, then combined with a quart of water before the solids are strained out. Alicia Bodine has been a professional writer for 13 years. 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