Flea Beetle

[Nicky]

What should I do about them? I've only taken on the allotment this year and am having quite a lot of trouble with flea beetles eating the leaves of my new plants and old ones for that matter - they loved the raddishes - wrecked those and the sweedes are constantly battling against them. I've just lost all bar 3 of my 15ft line of turnips so something has to be done.
Any suggestions? I want to try and use as little spray as possible so would rather not head straight for the derris and I'm not sure the trick with the plank of wook and the old engine oil is that soil friendly either so what else - grow everything under fleece?

[nick the grief]

Derris is actually made from the roots of a pea plant Nicky,

The only trouble's with it is it's indiscriminate & kills everything & the Rotenone is highly concentrated as it's refined (& can be toxic if used in great quantities). The only way you can beat them if you don't use sprays is to grow under fleece or micromesh both of which are expensive.

In places like Papua New Guinea they pound the root up & throw it in rivers & it de-oxygenates the water & they can scoop the fish out without having to catch them

Welcome to the vine any way, lets hope you have better luck next year.

[Nicos]

I am prone to flee beetle too ( and club root) ...you should have seen my turnips last year!!! lacey leaves and chime bells for roots. (should have taken a photo!!).
No probs this year with flee beetle as I used fleece from the beginning. Good idea Nicky!

[roitelet]

Hello All

Something I have found works to deter Flea Beetle is to soak some soft string in ***** Fluid and suspend it just above the seedlings. The smell seems to confuse the beetles and they go away. I found the tip in an old gardening book but they suggested using creosote. As I didn't have any I used the ***** instead and it seems to work on anything that is affected by the little darlings.

[Nicos]

Do you need to soak them throughout the season, or just the once?

[roitelet]

Sorry Nicos only just picked up your question. I use thick string and keep it in a jar with the neat ***** so that it is really well soaked and that is it lot the season.The flea beatles really don't like it. I had one row where had forgotten the string and there were loads of flea beatles, put the string up and they all vanished You can ust the same method for radish and sweeds, never tried it with cabbage or other brassicas.

Best of luck

[denise]

What does a flea beetle look like? then i can keep an eye out next year.

[roitelet]

Hi Denise

Flea beatles are tiny black beatles that jump when disturbed. They lay eggs on things like turnips and the grubs eat into them. The beatles also male tiny holes on the leaves of brassicas.

Hope this helps.

[denise]

hello Roitelet

Thank You for your reply. It helps alot - I will keep an eye for them next Spring, in the hope that they disapoint me and don't show. (hard to type with fingers crossed)