Overview
Contents
Flea beetles are small; however, they could be extremely destructive garden pests. Here you will find out everything about these annoying insects, such as recognizing them, what damage type they do, prevention suggestions, and natural techniques for controlling flea beetles.
Flea beetles are among the most aggravating garden pests to cope with. Because they emerge in early spring, then hit young seedlings, the damage is able to come even before you realize there is a problem.
Some leaf beetle jumps as fleas. The adults destroy by spreading disease, even though the larvae kill by consuming the roots.
What’s a flea beetle?
The beetles are shiny and small, with large hind legs. After feeding for some time in early summer, they lay their eggs at the base of plant stems, and the larvae feed on the roots. There are many species of flea beetles that attack many plants, but vegetables are susceptible to these pests. So it is named Flea beetles because of their ability to jump like fleas when disturbed.
Life Cycle
Adult beetles live in the earth, leaf debris, or perhaps grassy borders of your garden as well as a field when it is the winter. At nearly the same time, whenever we start to emerge from the homes of ours in springtime, and so do they. As the temperature is comfortable, they get swamped.
Adults find a proper host and start chowing down after much winter ‘s nap. Adhering to a portion of hearty food, the beetles lay the eggs at the host plant’s foundation.
These eggs are going to hatch in about ten times, hatching out into little whitish larvae computing between 1/4 and 1/8 inch long and small legs behind. They’re less adorable than they sound.
And hatched larvae live on the plants about another 3 to 4 weeks.
Following this particular time, they pupate for around 7 to 10 times before going to overindulge above ground. In hotter areas, multiple generations may happen every year. And that is more likely to result in a problem in your veggie patch unless you do something.
With a few mindful planning, preventive measures, as well as an action plan in position, you will not have to be worried about the security of your respective special broccoli and eggplants.
Check our article about how to get rid of Fleas in your house
Identification
Flea beetles range from tan to black or other colors, solid or spotted depending on the species. They are small garden bugs, only 1/16th of an inch long. You can see them if you sneak up on them, but they will disappear quickly if disturbed.
Adults overwinter in bushes and forested areas. They pose a threat early in the growing season because they are usually emerging when the weather reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
At what time Do Flea Beetles Appear?
Adult flea beetles live in wooded areas and brush when it is winter. Adults pose probably the most significant threat at the start of the planting season as they’re emerging, typically when outside temperatures reach 50ºF. At this particular moment, seedlings are being placed, too, and they’re very prone to beetle damage.
Flea beetles lay at the foundation of growing stems in the first summer after the springtime feeding phase, and larvae feed on the roots.
Where do flea beetles Live?
Flea beetles can be found in nature around wooded or perhaps heavily forested areas.
They like dense vegetation, including brush, wooded areas, leaf litter, windbreaks, hedgerows, trees, and unkempt backyards.
Since the overgrowth of vegetation plays a role in a positive environment for them, many people find these pests developing from suddenly and nowhere. They breed quickly and bring up an enormous population very fast, which could be a significant threat to young plants.
Adult beetles are going to eat plants on the outer leaves, flower petals, stamps, etc. The damage from one pest is going to leave a hole.
But when there’s a great deal of them feeding in concert, there could be more significant gaps in the foliage from substantial damage and coalescence. Some flea beetles only consume plant roots, and that is precisely what the larvae concentrate on.
During the rainfall, these beetles are going to dig into the ground and take shelter. You might notice decreased activity when it is colder outside or perhaps during heavy winds.
The Damage of Flea Beetles
Look for bullet holes in leaves, especially on new seedlings, where they will mostly damage the fastest. The holes they create are round and can damage green leafy plants quickly. New leaves are usually the first to be destroyed, and then they can have a lacy appearance.
Flea beetles are usually not fatal to the older plants as the leaves are too large. And the danger is that they can spread some bacterial diseases such as blight and wilt from plant to plant. So, they must be controlled immediately.
How to get rid of flea beetles naturally
The expertise of your enemy will be the very first element to flea beetle management. The bugs are small beetle type pests which hop when disturbed. And the larvae live in the garden when it is winter and turn into adults in spring. There might be up to 2 generations of the small lustrous beetles per year. Many varieties are striped or perhaps spotted and maybe black, tan, and brown. It’s easier to stop the damage instead of eliminating flea beetles unless you deal with chemical controls. And flea beetles control is better, particularly in the veggie garden where insects do most harm.
- A DIY spray to control the flea beetles
Use two cups of alcohol, five cups of water, and one tablespoon of liquid soap to spray for flea beetles’ control. Place the mixture on one leaf of the plant and let it sit overnight; if you don’t have any bad effects, take the rest of the plants off. Spray the blend on the leaves of garden plants which are vulnerable to these pests.
Sprinkling pure talc on your plants will repel flea beetles on peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and other plants.
- Use some white sticky traps to catch flea beetle jumps.
- Keep the weeds under control
Control weeds in and also around planting sites to restrict food options for flea beetles. This’s particularly important for the unwanted weeds in the solanaceous household like jimson weed, bittersweet nightshade, henbane, and violet nightshade.
Spray a neem oil mixture on the best and bottom part of the foliage (test a little area before spraying the entire plant).
- Use Neem Oil For Flea Beetles
Neem oil is a natural insecticide that kills insects, which works terrific for dealing with flea beetles organically. Additionally, it has a residual impact, which means you do not have to spray it on the bugs.
- Plant the eggplant of yours at the appropriate time
Eggplant is a warm-weather crop. When you put them in too soon, you’re asking for problems. It would help if you held back until the soil temperature is a minimum of 70F. This can provide them with a head start. Before they’re attacked, they’re already way too loud and can handle minor damage.
Insecticides can be used in the season, but they are often unnecessary when controlling flea beetles on adult insects. If the soil has the bacterial disease, be extra diligent.
How to Prevent the Flea Beetles In the Home
In the spring, newborn flea beetles will grow up in your garden. If possible, you need to deal with food supply and delay planting or transplanting for a few weeks.
In the fall, until any hidden flea beetles are found in the garden. This will also make the soil easier to cultivate next spring.
Row covers will successfully keep these pests away from the house, though they are completely sealed. So the pests don’t have time to search for the plants.
Cat’s claw and basil repel flea beetles. They are attracted to burdock and radishes. You can use them as flea beetle traps, so they don’t damage more valuable plants.
