Flea beetle

[Camile]

Hi everyone,

I was wonderring if you could help me out ...

Spring is only starting to pick up in the West of Ireland, so my radishes are starting to grow ..

But yesterday I saw some small holes on the leaves .. quite uneven ... so I've setup a beer trap and 5mn after I had what I think is a flea beetle ...

Do you think the beer trap will be enough .. or is there anything else I can do to stop them eating me veggies ?

Thanks for your help.
Camile

[Millymollymandy]

Poor you Camile. I had a really serious problem with flea beetle last year to the extent I could not grow radishes at all - they ate not only the leaves but made holes in all the radishes too. They also decimate cabbages. It is the brassica family that they like.

I think you only caught a few in your beer trap because they were probably stupid enough to hop into it.

There isn't a lot you can do other than try to grow under horticultural fleece weighed down so that they can't get under - but maybe it is too late now.

What I did notice is that eventually they went away about August time so I was able to grow curly kale without any problem (started in pots) and then planted out about August.

The only alternative is to grow your radishes in pots well away from the veg plot.

And the other really annoying thing is that they love rocket too. Horrible beasts!!

[Camile]

Hi again ..

I just found the following that seems to be worth a try:

"RE: organic controls for flea beetles

* Posted by: Annie_nj z6b (My Page) on Wed, Jun 8, 05 at 11:04

I don't know why it works, but a light dusting of lime gets rid of flea beetles for me.


o RE: organic controls for flea beetles

* Posted by: Kimmsr 4a/5b-MI (My Page) on Fri, Jun 10, 05 at 7:11

Because lime is extremely caustic and can burn the wee buggers (as well as you if mishandled) and is a dessicant as well."

I'm going to try that this week end and see how it goes ..

Thanks again,
Camile

[Andy Hamilton]

Hi again ..

I just found the following that seems to be worth a try:

"RE: organic controls for flea beetles

* Posted by: Annie_nj z6b (My Page) on Wed, Jun 8, 05 at 11:04

I don't know why it works, but a light dusting of lime gets rid of flea beetles for me.


o RE: organic controls for flea beetles

* Posted by: Kimmsr 4a/5b-MI (My Page) on Fri, Jun 10, 05 at 7:11

Because lime is extremely caustic and can burn the wee buggers (as well as you if mishandled) and is a dessicant as well."

I'm going to try that this week end and see how it goes ..

Thanks again,
Camile

how did you get on did it work?

[Camile]

Hi Andy ..

Well I didn't get to use that trick ..

Because the beer trap + ashes surronding the patch actually does the trick for me .. nothing is "stolen" from me anymore ...

So maybe it wasn't flea beetle, or there was just a few because I got to eat the radishes ! humm .. yummy ... I especially like the white ones ..

Camile