Flea Beetles

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Lettuceman Dayton, WA Jan 03, 2005

How do you knowledgeable vegetable gardeners foil the nasty flea beetles? I dislike using row cover. Any other methods or ideas?

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roxroe Winchester, VA(Zone 6b) Jan 03, 2005

keep building your soil is the best advice. Better the soil the less trouble you have with flea beetles and wireworms. If you already have them - put dirt or diatomacious earth on the leaves - they don't like that.

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Big_Red Bethelridge, KY(Zone 6a) Jan 04, 2005

I plant marigolds among my tomato plants and never have a problem with flea beetles. Use the old fashioned, tall marigolds such as 'Crackerjack' not the smaller French type. It's the odor that flea beetles don't like and French marigolds are odorless.

I read this a long ago in the Organic Gardening & Farming magazine. I've been planting them ever since, it works plus you get lots of color too.

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Emaewest Timberlea, NS(Zone 6a) Jan 04, 2005

Thanks for bringing this up, Lettuceman. I believe flea beetles have been eating my rhubarb plants for the past two years. The leaves look like someone shot holes in them.

So, Crackerjack marigolds, diatomacious earth, and a heap o'compost? I think I can handle it. ; )

Rhonda

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Lettuceman Dayton, WA Jan 04, 2005

Well Rhonda, as I alluded to in my first post of this thread, I really don't like to use the best method I know of - row cover. There's just something that goes against my grain in covering any of my plants...I like to see them bask in the Sun!
Nevertheless, the row cover is effective, so if it's a choice of harvesting a nice looking crop or one in which the beetles have made pincushions out of...guess you get my drift.
Best of luck to you in keeping them out of your rhubarb.

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Emaewest Timberlea, NS(Zone 6a) Jan 04, 2005

Lettuceman: I forgot about you mentioning row covers (short attention span here!) That would be the easiest solution--thanks for reminding me. : )

Rhonda

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Horseshoe Efland, NC(Zone 7a) Jan 04, 2005

Actually I've seen good results (most years) just dusting with either wood ash or talc powder. Have to stay at it though. If you have a severe outbreak though you'll probably have to resort to pyrethrin. Alcohol sprays will also work (dilute two cups isopropl to a quart of water) for a foliar spray BUT do a test first to see how it will affect whatever plant you spraying it on; some plants handle it, some don't. I wouldn't use it in direct sun either.


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