Flea Beetles!

I was out looking at my boxes last night, thinning a few extra seedlings that had come up, when I noticed all these little holes in the leaves of just about all my brassica's. Ugh! Fighting pests already I had never seen these little critters and at first could not figure out what the heck they where. I took a couple of pictures, but they came out really blurry. I then tried to catch a couple of these little bugs and noticed they jumped exactly like fleas! So I came in and did a few google searches and discovered what I had was flea beetles. Unfortunately, most of the trap plants for these critters are what I'm trying to grow
Typically in the past, I would have headed straight for the barn and grabbed the 7 dust...Since joining this site, I'm really trying to change some of my old ways. Treating for pests is one of them. Not only for my families health, but also because our neighbors raise bees. I'm really trying to turn over a new leaf here! I've searched a little bit, but curious what other's have used successfully to treat these pests. Camp, I don't want to harm your bees. Is Neem a safe alternative? I'm open to suggestions here

Here's a couple of pictures. I admit, I'm a bit embarrassed of the quality. My poor lil Baby Bok Choy I've been sooo looking forward to:

GRRRRR...... I hate flea beetles. Here is a pretty good write up to start with!
Organic Control of Flea Beetles

I like the first sentence:

Flea beetles are one of the most difficult-to-manage pests of eggplant and cole crops.

Just my luck

Think I'll start with the Neem

RoOsTeR wrote:I like the first sentence:

Flea beetles are one of the most difficult-to-manage pests of eggplant and cole crops.

Just my luck

Think I'll start with the Neem

Really It gets better!!! There are some really good ideas and techniques here. It's tougher on the little plants, once they get bigger, the plants have a good chance of recovery but don't have that 'supermarket' unblemished look. Row cover is probably the best option for small seedlings/transplants. Hang tough Rooster!

You can make your own yellow paper traps with yellow oaktag or another sturdy paper or light cardboard and a product called tangle foot. At the link below, hebsays you can use other things to make the paper sticky.
http://www.oisat.org/control_methods/physical_methods/sticky_board_traps.html

I also found some other interesting suggestions:

Predators: Toads, which eat all stages of the bug as will chickadees, vireos, purple finches. Ground beetles and parasitic wasps will hunt them.
Repellent plants: Candytuft, garlic, mints, shepherd's purse, tansy and wormwood.

• Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth as a barrier around plants or dust the whole plant with it.
  
• Onion and garlic are natural flea-beetle repellants. Teas can be made from these plants to use a spray on susceptible plants.
  
• Seedlings are most vulnerable to flea beetle feeding when stressed, particularly by lack moisture.
  
• Flea beetle control can be aided by using yellow sticky traps. Place individual traps every 15 to 30 feet of the plant row.
  
• Make a barrier of lime or coffee grounds around vulnerable plants.
  
• Plant radishes or pak choi as trap crops. Stretch pantyhose over young cabbages. Tie top and bottom.
  
• Chinese Daikon and Snow Belle radish are favorites of flea beetles. Plant these at 6 to 12 inch intervals among cole crops.
  
• Use a mulch of chopped clover. Hot pepper or garlic sprays can help.
  
• Scatter chopped and bruised leaves of tomato, mint, catnip, wormwood, bergamot or elderberry on and around plants the beetles like.
  
• Wave strips of fly paper over plants. This disturbs the flea beetles, making them jump and get snared on the paper. This works extremely well!
  

Thanks Camp. It's just kind of a bummer getting nailed right outta the gate But hey, it's a package deal. I take it all as part of the process and a learning experience. Even if it makes me

I recommend row cover. I got them on my cabbages one year and immediately covered with row cover. That did the trick. Later my cabbages were just beautiful.



On May 28th covered with row cover.



Above: My Super Red 80s in June.....no holes.

Quiltbea, does the cover itself get rid of them or did you use something else first to get rid of the fleas and then cover to maintain?
That cabbage is beautiful!

@ Rooster......I just stuck the covers over them and hoped for the best. It worked. Maybe the flea beetles were elsewhere during the day and couldn't find the cabbages when they came back. I don't know where they went.

Thanks for another great tip qb!

The past 24 hours, I think my biggest, most problematic pest has been the relentless wind
Everything is so stressed now, I don't even know about applying anything till my plants perk back up a bit...

Roo.....Talk about a relentless wind......it ripped the flaps on the south side loose last nite on my A-frame right from under the clips, yet the row cover over the brassicas held down with clothespins on wire clothes hangers, held fine.....with an old beach towel tossed over it. Its another windy day today and tonite will be in the mid 20s so another coldddd nite for me. I'm keeping my cauliflowers I'm trying to harden off and my pots of herbs inside for the day and nite.