Flea beetles are one of those challenging pests that can quickly wreak havoc on crops and are also very difficult to eradicate once present. These tiny insects with their shiny black exoskeleton will jump away as soon as you get nearby, hence the name flea beetle. They go after many crops, but seem to particularly love arugula, the leaves of young eggplant, and the greens on turnips. The tiny holes they create in crops’ leaves are unsightly and can also diminish the plant’s ability to undergo photosynthesis, thereby decreasing growth and overall health.
Once flea beetles have arrived, it can be quite challenging to get rid of them. When I was growing for market, I had to avoid almost any flea beetle damage as customers tend not to buy plants with holes in their leaves. Organic pesticides such as Pyganic can be effective against flea beetles. However, I find floating row cover or bug netting to be the best chemical-free strategy for this pest as both prevent the flea beetles from getting into contact with the crop in the first place. Put these covers in place as soon as the seeds are planted and make sure to only remove the cover to harvest early in the morning when flea beetles aren’t very active because once flea beetles get under the row cover, it becomes totally useless.
Growing for myself, however, I am pretty comfortable with eating somewhat hole-covered produce, so I’ve opted not to do anything about the flea beetles this year. On a small scale and growing only for yourself, this may be the easiest strategy of all!
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