Are you having problems with flea beetles in your vegetable garden? Are you looking for effective methods to get rid of them? How can you get rid of flea beetles and are coffee grounds effective against them?
Flea beetles are annoying insects that cause great damage to the kitchen garden and ruin vegetable crops. If you notice tiny, black beetles on your plants or the plant leaves are covered in small holes, you may be dealing with flea beetles. In this article you will find out how you can fight flea beetles using only natural remedies.
If you do not treat the annoying pests in a timely manner, it can cause significant damage. The flea beetles not only eat holes in the plants, but they can also spread diseases and kill the plants. While there are a variety of species known as flea beetles, fortunately they can all be controlled using the same methods.
What are flea beetles?
One of the most dangerous pests for seedlings in the vegetable garden are flea beetles. This is a tiny jumping beetle with a body length of around three millimeters.
They come in a variety of colors, from light brown to black. Some species have lighter hues and some even have striped or spotted shells.
They hide in the ground, in garden waste and in greenhouses during winter and awaken in early spring during soil colonization.
The adult beetles mate in the spring and lay their eggs in the soil. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the roots of the plants. After a brief pupation, the beetles emerge as adults and begin feeding on nearby plants.
First, the adult pests eat the weeds and then they begin to ruin the newly planted seedlings. They primarily damage the young leaves of plants by creating small holes in the foliage, causing the leaves to wilt and the plant to die.
Which plants do flea beetles like?
Flea beetles are probably one of the five most annoying pests in your garden.
The different types of flea beetles feed on different plants. While some species only eat a single type of plant, there are those that like a variety of plants.
Brassica plants in the kitchen garden, such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale, are particularly susceptible to infestation by flea beetles. These annoying pests also like to eat the foliage of pumpkins, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. But they can also infect corn and salads.
Homemade control spray
The first control we're going to introduce to you is this homemade spray that only takes a few minutes to make.
Mix 480 ml isopropyl alcohol, 1.2 liters water and 1 tablespoon liquid soap in a spray bottle.
Test the mixture on a leaf of the plant and leave it overnight to ensure the solution does not harm the plant. Then spray the entire plant if you see no adverse effects.
Spray the solution onto the foliage of all affected plants and repeat the process after a few days if necessary.
Fighting flea beetles with coffee grounds: is that possible?
Coffee grounds are a versatile home remedy that can be used to combat some pests and pestsvery effective as fertilizeris. And although many gardeners claim that it is also effective against flea beetles, this seems to be wishful thinking. Every serious study conducted on this topic comes to a negative conclusion. For this reason, we recommend that you use some of the other methods to get the best results.
Drive away the pests with neem oil
Neem oil is a natural insecticide that is ideal for controlling flea beetles. It can kill them and stop them from feeding on the leaves. It also has a negative effect on the ability of flea beetles to reproduce, reducing their numbers. Since it also has a residual effect, you should not spray it directly on the beetles.
To make a neem oil spray at home, mix 5ml of neem oil with a liter of water and 2ml of liquid soap in a spray bottle. Shake the solution well to make sure the liquid soap has dissolved.
Spray the tops and bottoms of affected plants and repeat the process after each rainfall.
Catch the flea beetles with tape
A very simple, yet effective way to get rid of flea beetles is to use adhesive tape. This is a folk method and many gardeners claim that it works.
Stick a piece of tape on a toothpick or a slightly larger stick. Place it in the center of the affected plant. The flea beetles are attracted to the adhesive tape and stick to it.
However, it is important to know that this method can only catch the adult beetles and therefore it is not a complete solution to the problem.
Attach yellow sticky traps
Hanging yellow sticky traps around the garden is another great solution. They capture the adult pests as they jump from plant to plant.
Check your sticky traps regularly and replace them with new ones as soon as they are full or no longer stick. However, keep in mind that these traps can also catch other beneficial insects, including bees and butterflies.
Dispel with vinegar
Using vinegar in the garden to combat flea beetles is quite effective.
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of vinegar in 1.5 liters of lukewarm water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the plants, also paying attention to the undersides of the leaves. It is best to treat the plants in the evening after sunset, when the sunlight is not so strong and the weather is calm.
If it rains heavily after spraying, you should repeat the process. Treat the plants with vinegar three times a week until the flea beetles are gone.
Diatomaceous earth against flea beetles
Flea beetles can be combated effectively and naturally with diatomaceous earth. It is a highly absorbent agent that scratches the outer layer of the pests as they crawl over the fine powder and they die within four hours. You should always have this powerful biological weapon on hand when you want to combat beetles and other pests in your garden.
Sprinkle the diatomaceous earth around the base of the affected plants and leave it for 48 hours for best results. Repeat the process two to three times a week, remembering that it is only effective when dry and should be reapplied after rainfall.
Which companion plants keep flea beetles away?
Companion plants are an easy and useful way to keep pests away from vegetable crops. For example, flea beetles avoid aromatic plants such as catnip, green onions, dill, and marigolds, and they often avoid nearby plants as well. Growing companion flowering plants also helps attract beneficial insects that naturally feed on flea beetles.
Prevent flea beetles in the garden
The best way to combat flea beetles is to take some preventive measures to prevent them.
- Keep your garden inSpring free of weedsso that the flea beetles cannot find food.
- Protect your crops with high-density insect nets to keep the tiny insects away.
- Water the plants regularly as flea beetles do not like wet conditions.
- Loosen the surface of the soil regularly before watering the plants and also in late autumn to prevent flea beetles from overwintering in the soil.
- When preparing the garden for winter, collect all garden waste for them to overwinter.
Also read:Vole in the garden: Identify and effectively drive away the annoying rodents
