Flea beetles
 

The little buggers are attacking my tomatillos this year. How sorry will I be if I do nothing about them? The plants are pretty huge and healthy and they don't seem to be slowing their growth at all because of the beetles, they just have a whole lot of tiny holes in their leaves, of course.

I won't use chemical pesticides but I'm open to something else if it's got a chance of making a real difference. I've been reading conflicting info on whether or not it's worth trying to get rid of them, especially if the plants are still doing relatively OK.

What say you, Tomatoville?

I heard about using diatomaceous earth on them, but I haven't yet. They are attacking my tiny Eggplant and I'm getting worried so, once it stops raining I'll dig out the DE.

Linda

Interplant a row of Baby Lima Beans in your tomatoes and eggplant. One row of Baby Lima Beans then 2 rows of other vegetables then another row of Baby Lima Beans. This will repel Flea Beatles, Colorado Potato Beatles and a number of moths so they don't lay eggs on your plants. Starts working when the Baby Limas get about 8 - 10 inches high.

After the Limas are harvested, make a tea from the hulls and leaves. Use a packed gallon of hulls and fresh leaves to make 3 gallons of tea. Strain and store until needed. Unrefrigerated a mold will form at the top of the tea. This does not effect the use of the tea.

Next Spring when you transplant your tomatoes and eggplant strain the tea and spray full strength on the transplants. The tea is just as effective as the bean plants. Claud

Baby Lima Beans interplanted with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Peppers.

Claud,

Many thanks for the tip. I will plant lima beans between the eggplant and peppers next year.

Your garden looks beautiful - and big!

Linda

I had flea beetles on my Millionaire eggplant in the greenhouse this year. They left the other varieties alone, but i sprayed with neem oil a couple of times and they seem to be controlled, now.

I had them for the first time last year. My plants were large enough so that I could remove the bottom sets of leaves. Then they couldn't jump up on the plants to eat!

I always thought that flea beetle attacks end sometime in June and if the plant can hold out until July, the attack is over. That's the way it is on my tomatoes, anyway. Now, this year I have them on my two eggplants. Trying to hold out.

I have them every year on tomatoes and lots of other plants but I don't do anything except to cover eggplant with floating row cover. They don't seem to harm the other plants or cause disease so for me it doesn't warrant spraying.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) works on flea beetles well. Must use regularly, particularly after rains, a good duster helps also.